Jingle Dancer

by Cynthia Leitich Smith

AR Test, Picture Book, Teaches About Culture

At A Glance

Interest Level

8+

Entertainment
Score

Reading Level
3.7

Number of Pages
32

Jenna loves the tradition of jingle dancing that has been shared over generations in her family and intertribal community. She hopes to dance at the next powwow. But with the day quickly approaching, she has a problem—how will her dress sing if it has no jingles?

Jenna turns to her Indigenous community to help her learn get ready for the powwow. First, she watches a videotape of her Grandma Wolfe to learn the bounce step of the jingle dance. To get her dress ready, Great-Aunt Sis gives Jenna a row of her jingles and tells her a story. Then, Jenna asks three other women to borrow a row of jingles, making sure that she didn’t take so many that the others “dresses would lose their voice.” With her Grandma Wolfe’s help, Jenna helps sew the jingles onto her dress and practices her bounce-steps.

Jingle Dancer focuses on Jenna’s community and traditions. When Jenna dances, she doesn’t just represent herself; she dances for the women who helped her get enough jingles to make her dress sing. The story illustrates how Indigenous women support one another and the significance of preserving and passing down traditions.

The watercolor illustrations show Jenna in a typical suburban community. Many illustrations focus on the traditional jingle dancer, and the conclusion shows Jenna dancing at the powwow. Jingle Dancer helps readers understand traditional Native American customs and highlights the importance of storytelling in these cultures. The author’s note includes information about the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and the traditions behind jingle dresses. It also includes a glossary that explains the following terms: fry bread, Indian taco, powwow, and regalia.

Jingle Dancer is a beautifully written story about Native American traditions. While the story is heartwarming and encouraging, wiggly readers may have difficulty listening to a reading of the book because of the text-heavy pages. However, the story focuses on community and storytelling, and it will appeal to many children and adults. Jingle Dancer encourages readers to learn about their culture and traditions, reminding them of the importance of remembering their ancestors.

Sexual Content 