From Indigenous creative team Deidre Havrelock and Aly McKnight comes a powerful and exuberant story about the heritage, joy, and healing power of the Jingle Dress Dance—a perfect read-aloud picture book.
It’s a special day—the day of the Jingle Dress Dance! Before the big powwow, there’s a lot to do: getting dressed, braiding hair, packing lunches, and practicing bounce-steps. But one young girl gets butterflies in her stomach thinking about performing in front of her whole community. When the drumbeats begin, though, her family soothes her nerves and reminds her why she dances.
Emerging historically in response to the global influenza pandemic of 1918–19, the Jingle Dress Dance is a ceremonial dance of healing and prayer that still thrives today in many Indigenous and First Nations communities across North America. Lyrically and rhythmically written with lush, full-color illustrations, Why We Dance is a joyous celebration of a proud Indigenous tradition that inspires hope, resilience, and unity.---from the publisher
40 pages 978-1419756672 Ages 7-10
Keywords: Native American, Indigenous people, First Nations, customs and traditions, heritage, dance, healing, community, 7 year old, 8 year old, 9 year old, 10 year old, diversity, diverse books, multicultural, multigenerational, main character female
Read alike from Africa: The Heart Never Forgets (cultural tradition for healing)
