TRADITIONAL LITERATURE

Rabbit's Snow Dance

 

 written by Joseph Bruchac and James Bruchac

illustrated by Jeff Newman

Dial Books for Young Readers

New York, New York

2012

SUMMARY

Rabbit’s Snow Dance is a traditional Iroquois tale explaining why rabbits’ tails are so short.  Many, many years ago, Rabbit had a long, beautiful tail.  Unfortunately, Rabbit’s patience did not match the length of his tail.  When Rabbit made up his mind that he wanted something, he wanted it right now and he didn’t let anything get in his way.

One beautiful, summer day, Rabbit decided that he wanted snow - lots of snow.  Rabbit knew a special dance and always played his drum, sang his song, and danced his dance to make it snow in the winter.  It wasn’t winter, but Rabbit didn’t let that stop him.  He played his drum, sang his song, and danced his dance, right in the middle of summer.

And it SNOWED!  Great big snowflakes...and it kept snowing until the trees were covered.  All the other animals of the forest found shelter, but not Rabbit.  He stayed outside, high in a tree.  In the end, he loses his long, beautiful tail and learns a valuable lesson: patience is a very important characteristic.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Typical of many Native American folktales, this pour quoi tale explains why; in this case it explains why rabbits’ tails are short.  The setting is revealed early in the story, both through the story and the pictures.  Newman created the pictures watercolor and ink, a style not often found in traditional tales.  The pictures follow the story very well and help children see the story as story unfolds.

The chant Rabbit repeats is simple and would be picked up easily by children, allowing them the opportunity to participate in the reading of this delightful tale.  Providing a moral at the end of the story provides a jumping off point for discussing patience with children.

REVIEW EXCERPTS

Publishers Weekly: "A welcome departure from the stodgier art-work that can often accompany myths and folk tales."

Horn Book Reviews: "A good choice for a preschool read-aloud."

Booklist: "The telling is sprightly, and Newman's ink-and-watercolor artwork makes an ideal companion. An appealing addition to folktale shelves."

School Library Journal: "This modern retelling maintains [the Bruchacs'] solid reputation for keeping Native American tales fresh."

CONNECTIONS

After reading a few pour quoi tales, students can each write their own pour quoi tale and they can be bound into a class book.

Read How Chipmunk Got His Stripes and Rabbit’s Snow Dance by Joseph and James Bruhac.  Compare the two stories using a Venn diagram or other graphic organizer.

AWARDS

Outstanding Achievement in Children’s Literature, written and/or illustrated by Wisconsin book creators (Jeff Newman lives in Wisconsin)


Bruchac, J., Bruchac, J., & Newman, J. (2012). Rabbit's snow dance: A traditional Iroquois story. New York: Dial Books for Young Readers.  ISBN-10: 0803732708