Bibliographic Data
Bruchac, James and Joseph Bruchac.
2012. Rabbit's Snow Dance: a Traditional
Iroquois Story. Ill. Jeff Newman. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers.
ISBN: 9780803732704.
Brief Plot Summary
Rabbit loves the snow and can summon
it with a drum song. It is summer, but he cannot wait any longer. He performs the snow
dance at such a great length that snow covers the forest to the tops of the trees. The animals
were not ready for winter and are displeased. Rabbit selfishly falls asleep on
a branch. The next day the snow melts and he finds himself falling from a tree
ripping his once long tail into the size we all recognize today. Rabbit learns
patience the hard way. Readers find out why there is cotton in trees and why the rabbit has a
short tail.
Critical Analysis
James and Joseph Bruchac are a
father and son that have spent their lives retelling Iroquois folklore. As
experienced storytellers, the Bruchac’s create yet another great read aloud
preserving the oral tradition. Many aspects make this an attractive read aloud:
repeating lines, short sentences and brevity, and chant-like lines. The text
for singing is colorful and frequently in all caps, different from the rest of
the text. This publication is a fresh and modern version of an old Native
American story.
According to Debbie Reese’s blog
American Indians In Children’s Literature, the cover accurately depicts the rabbit
playing the drum with a drumstick instead of his hand (2012). In a consistent
fashion, the rabbit is shown with both parts of the drum as he continues to
sleep on the high tree branch and also both pieces fall to the ground with the
rabbit in another scene.
Based on the information in the book
all that we learn about this story’s origin is from the subtitle indicated on
the title page, “A Traditional Iroquois Story.” No other information on the
background or tribe is given, so that may take extra work on the librarian or
instructors part to supplement. Other sources, such as library catalogs,
indicate that versions of this same story exist in two other Bruchac
collections. During the interview linked in the connections section, Joseph
Bruchac also talks about the variations of Rabbit’s Snow Dance that exists not
only amongst his family, but also between American Indian tribes.
The illustrator, Jeff Newman, paints
in a classic vintage style. We can observe his deliberate brush strokes, many
of which are perfectly straight. The animals are whimsically adorable. The
textures are dense, particularly nature scenes of flowery fields. Apparently he
utilizes watercolor, gouche, and ink. His illustrations are refreshing and not
what one may stereotypically expect from Native American folklore.
Like much folklore readers uncover
moralistic lessons and explanations for life. Rabbit’s selfish behavior and
impatience catches up with him when he plummets out of the tree ripping his
long tail. Readers discover a fantastic explanation for the size of a rabbit’s
tail and the reason some trees have long cotton in their branches.
Reese, Debbie. “James and Joseph
Bruchac's RABBIT'S SNOW DANCE.” American
Indians In Children’s Literature.
Published 11 December 2012.
Review Excerpt(s)
“The telling is sprightly, and Newman's ink-and-watercolor
artwork, which has the feel of Asian brushwork, makes an ideal companion. An
appealing addition to folktale shelves.”
- Ilene
Cooper (Booklist, Dec. 1, 2012 (Vol. 109, No. 7))
“This retelling of a traditional Iroquois tale by father-son duo
James and Joseph Bruchac begs to be read aloud and shared at story time.”
- Keri
Collins Lewis (Children's Literature)
“Newman's watercolor, gouache and ink illustrations are an
interesting mix of styles. Some foregrounds appear to be painted in a
pointillist manner, and some of the animals are almost manga-esque, lacking any
shading in their sharp outlines and flat colors.”
- Kirkus
Reviews, October 1, 2012 (Vol. 80, No. 19)
Connections
Follow this read aloud with another Iroquois folktale like The Naked Bear or The Robin’s Red Breast. Draw comparison of the folktales by letting students write similarities on one side of a whiteboard and dissimilarities on the other.
Here is an interview with the
Bruchac’s about Rabbit’s Snow Dance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9U6mjoryGE
Joseph’s Bruchac’s website: http://www.josephbruchac.com/
James Bruchac’s website: http://www.jamesbruchac.com/pages/
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