Powwow Day Hardcover – Picture Book, February 8, 2022 by Traci Sorell

Description

Author: Sorell Traci

Color: Multicolor

Format: Picture Book

Package Dimensions: 10x240x413

Number Of Pages: 32

Release Date: 08-02-2022

Details: Product Description
In this uplifting, contemporary Native American story, River is recovering from illness and can’t dance at the powwow this year. Will she ever dance again?

River wants so badly to dance at powwow day as she does every year. In this uplifting and contemporary picture book perfect for beginning readers, follow River’s journey from feeling isolated after an illness to learning the healing power of community.

Additional information explains the history and functions of powwows, which are commonplace across the United States and Canada and are open to both Native Americans and non-Native visitors. Author Traci Sorell is a member of the Cherokee Nation, and illustrator Madelyn Goodnight is a member of the Chickasaw Nation.
Review
♦ In this contemporary story, an Indigenous tradition inspires hope in a young girl.
Powwow Day, a traditional Native American ceremony, arrives, but River is still recovering from an unnamed illness and feels too weak to dance. Dressed in her jingle dress and matching moccasins, she longs to join her family and friends in the Grand Entry procession. She hears the drums—“BAM. BAM. BAM. BAM”—and watches the elders enter the circle with flags and feathers. The fancy dancers “twirl and ribbons whirl,” while the “grass dancers sway and weave themselves around the circle,” but River can’t “feel the drum’s heartbeat,” and her “feet stay still.” The emcee calls for the jingle dress dancers to enter the arena. Although River needs the ceremonial healing dance, she can’t do it. Thankfully, River’s friend says she will dance for her. The rows of shiny cones on the dresses make music as the jingle dancers move: “clink, clink, clink.” The girls “dance for the Creator, the ancestors, their families, and everyone’s health.” Watching her sister, cousins, and friend dance, River’s heart begins to open and conviction enters her soul. She finally feels the drumbeat fully, but is it her time to dance? Goodnight’s vibrant, energetic digital illustrations capture the beauty and intricacy of powwow regalia as well as the unique atmosphere of a powwow gathering. Together, the artwork and text sensitively portray and celebrate a powerful ritual that upholds the culture, healing traditions, and creative spirit of Native American communities. No specific tribe is mentioned in the story, though the backmatter mentions the Ponca and Omaha tribes.
A heartwarming picture book about the roles of courage, culture, and community in the journey of personal healing.
—
Kirkus Reviews, starred review

A girl recovering from illness longs to participate in her tribal powwow in this vibrant picture book about acceptance and hope. Delicate feathers and fringe adorn brilliant gold, pink, and turquoise ensembles as River’s friends and family take part in various dances and competitions, but River is still not well enough to don her jingle dress and join them. As she watches, though, she is reminded that the music still lives in her heart, and that she will dance again someday.
—
Foreword Reviews

About the Author
Traci Sorell writes fiction and nonfiction for children featuring contemporary characters and compelling biographies. She is an enrolled citizen of the Cherokee Nation and lives in northeastern Oklahoma, where her tribe is located.

Madelyn Goodnight is a member of the Chickasaw Nation. Her work reflects her love of childhood. She holds a degree from Rhode Island School of design and lives in Brooklyn. She is the illustrator of
The Pear Tree and
Look, Grandma!/Ni, Elisi! www.madelyngoodnight.com