Why We Dance: A Story of Hope and Healing

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.

Author: Deidre Havrelock
Publisher: Abrams Books for Young Readers
Published: 02/06/2024
Pages: 40
Binding Type: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781419756672
Audience: Ages 4-8

About the Author
Deidre Havrelock is a member of Saddle Lake Cree Nation. She grew up in Edmonton, Alberta, with a ghost in her house, a feminist for a grandma, and wishing she had a buffalo for a pet! Her debut picture book, Buffalo Wild! (Annick Press), was hailed as an "exuberant celebration." Her forthcoming books include the picture books Buffalo: The Enduring Story of Buffalo and the First Peoples of North America (Holiday House, Summer 2023) and The Heartbeat Drum (Abrams BYR, Fall 2024), as well as a middle-grade nonfiction book about Indigenous ingenuity, co-authored with Edward Kay (Little, Brown, Spring 2023). She currently resides in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada. Aly McKnight is a self-taught watercolor artist and illustrator whose art features vibrant colors and Indigenous stories. An enrolled member of the Shoshone-Bannock Tribe who grew up in a small farming community in Northern Nevada, McKnight is inspired by her own experiences, family, friends, and community. Her passion to create is rooted in the hope that when Indigenous peoples, especially womxn and youth, need to feel connected and grounded, they have visual imagery to turn to that makes them feel seen and powerful. She currently lives in Utah with her husband Brockton, of Hawaiian/Samoan descent, their daughter, Paoakalani, and Pomeranian dog, Bella. Visit her on Instagram @alymcknight.