Shelf Awareness--Powwow Day

PB Review: Powwow Day

Powwow Day by Traci Sorell, illus. by Madelyn Goodnight (Charlesbridge, 32p., ages 4-8, 9781580899482)

In the lyrical Powwow Day, readers are welcomed into an uplifting "celebration of dance, song, culture, and community."

River wakes on powwow day full of excitement--until she remembers that, because she's been ill, there will be no dancing and no jingle dress competition for her today. Still, she hopes at least to join in for Grand Entry at the start of the ceremony. She waits with the other girls as warriors enter the arena carrying flags, followed by elders heading up the long line of dancers. But her own feet are still. It seems that River is the only one who "can't feel the drum's heartbeat." The competitions begin and "fancy dancers twirl and ribbons whirl." Finally, River feels the drum beat inside her. She watches as her sister, cousin and friends step and turn with feathery fans; she sits tall as they "dance for the Creator, the ancestors, their families, and everyone's health... including mine."

Traci Sorrell (At the Mountain's Base; We Are Still Here), member of the Cherokee Nation, enhances her graceful text with back matter about powwows. Through River, the author neatly conveys the magic and allure of the dances themselves, along with the all-important sense of community and healing fostered by the celebratory event. Madelyn Goodnight (illustrator of Look Grandma! Ni, Elisi!), member of the Chickasaw Nation, uses dynamic layouts and a variety of viewpoints in her colorful digital illustrations to portray the vibrancy of the powwow. Readers will likely find it easy to empathize with River's sorrow as well as her hope for strength, for healing and to dance again. --Lynn Becker, reviewer, blogger and children's book author.

Discover: The narrator of this gentle picture-book meditation on time and memory describes the magic of a series of moments in the lives of three generations of her family.