Jingle Dancer

New York Times bestselling author Cynthia Leitich Smith's lyrical text is paired with the warm, evocative watercolors of Cornelius Van Wright and Ying-Hwa Hu in this affirming story of a contemporary Native American girl who turns to her family and community.

The cone-shaped jingles sewn to Grandma Wolfe's dress sing tink, tink, tink, tink...

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?

A terrific read-aloud pick, perfect to share with a family member

In partnership with We Need Diverse Books

Cornelius Van Wright and Ying-Hwa Hu have illustrated many distinguished picture books, including Jewels, by Belinda Rochelle (Dutton), which was selected as a Notable Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies. The couple lives in New York City with their daughter and son.

Cornelius Van Wright and Ying-Hwa Hu have illustrated many distinguished picture books, including Jewels, by Belinda Rochelle (Dutton), which was selected as a Notable Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies. The couple lives in New York City with their daughter and son.

Cynthia Leitich Smith is the bestselling, acclaimed author of books for all ages, including Rain Is Not My Indian Name, Indian Shoes, Jingle Dancer, and Hearts Unbroken, which won the American Indian Library Association's Youth Literature Award; she is also the anthologist of Ancestor Approved: Intertribal Stories for Kids. Most recently, she was named the 2021 NSK Neustadt Laureate. Cynthia is the author-curator of Heartdrum, a Native-focused imprint at HarperCollins Children's Books, and serves as the Katherine Paterson Inaugural Endowed Chair on the faculty of the MFA program in Writing for Children and Young Adults at Vermont College of Fine Arts. She is a citizen of the Muscogee Nation and lives in Austin, Texas. You can visit Cynthia online at www.cynthialeitichsmith.com.