A. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bruchac, J., Bruchac, J.(2012).RABBIT’S SNOW DANCE: A TRADITIONAL IROQUOIS STORY. Ill. by Newman, J. Dial Books for Young Readers.
ISBN: 978-0803732704
B. PLOT SUMMARY
Rabbit loves the winter. He knows a dance, using an Iroquois drum and song, to make it snow even in summertime! When the rabbit decides that it should snow early, he starts his dance and the snow begins to fall. The other forest animals are not happy and ask him to stop, but Rabbit doesn’t listen. How much snow is too much, and will Rabbit know when to stop?
C. CRITICAL ANALYSIS( INCLUDING CULTURAL MARKERS)
James Bruchac is a member of the Nulhegan Abenaki Nation, which is a state-recognized Native American tribe in Vermont. He and his son Joseph write this wonderful story in a traditional fable form about a rabbit who is impatient, selfish and moody and wants to hasten the arrival of winter much to the discontent of the other forest animals who are not ready to receive the cold, merciless season.
The pictures in this story are beautifully drawn and painted using what appears to be watercolor or pastel, or a combination of both. Although the colors are not glossy or bright, they still capture the reader’s eye. The illustrator conveys the mood of each season as he uses bright colors for the summer and spring seasons, but uses more gray as the winter snow storm arrives. The animals in the story are very simply drawn, yet they still possess their qualities.
There are many cultural markers throughout the story. A notable one, for example, is that the story is told as a fable. Native Americans use fables to teach lessons or to explain things. In this fable, although it is not the prevalent theme, the reader learns that the rabbit had a long tail at the beginning of the story, and at the end, after the snow had melted and the rabbit fell off the tree, his tail was shortened to the tuft of hair we know today as his tail was caught on several branches on his way down. Rabbit also uses a traditional dance along with a drum and cadence to usher in the winter, much like Native
Americans would perform a rain dance. Rabbit was chanting “azikanapo” which means “it will snow foot wrappers.” True to the Native American stories, the character, along with the reader, learns a lesson. In this case a lesson of patience and the consequences of ushering in things before their time, such as in this case, the season's upon which Native Americans would (and maybe still do) plan their lives around.
This story would be great for elementary-aged students, and maybe middle school-aged students, as it teaches lessons and makes them think about their actions and their possible consequences.
D. REVIEW EXCERPTS
“The telling is sprightly, and Newman's ink-and-watercolor artwork makes an ideal companion. An appealing addition to folktale shelves.” —Booklist
“This modern retelling maintains [the Bruchacs’] solid reputation for keeping Native American tales fresh.” —School Library Journal
E. CONNECTIONS
-Cause and effect relationships
-Character analysis of the main character
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