Rabbit's Snow Dance

 

Bibliography:

Bruchas, James, and Joseph. 2012. RABBIT’S SNOW DANCE. Ill. by Jeff Newman. Dial Books. ISBN: 0803732708.

Plot Summary:

Rabbit’s Snow Dance is a funny twist on an Iroquois folktale about the importance of being patient and listening to your friends. The rabbit loves winter, and he uses dance and song to make it snow even in the summertime. The other animals aren’t happy and ask him to stop but he doesn’t listen. When will the rabbit realize that there's enough snow?

Critical Analysis:

I really enjoyed this book as well as my 2^nd grade students. We found the story was written very well and taught a variety of lessons from patience, listening to your friends, being considerate, and not being selfish. The illustrations by Newman were amazing and really made the story stand out even more. We really enjoyed the twist to the folktale of why rabbits no longer have long tails.

I love that Bruchas shared this Iroquois folktale as its important to continue sharing our First Nations stories that have been passed down for generations. I feel Bruchas and Newman did truly an amazing job and this book will be added to my library for sure.

Review Awards and Excerpt(s):

“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

Connections:

This book is an amazing read-aloud to teach about folktales and teach the lessons of patience. You could use this book to also study Native American Folktales. Some other books to check out are:

-          How Chipmunk Got His Stripes by Joseph and James Bruchac

-          How Raven Got His Crooked Nose: An Alaskan Dena’ina Fable by Barbara Atwater

-          Turtle’s Race with Beaver by Joseph and James Bruchas

You could even use this folktale to study alone with other books about stubborn animals such as:

-          Bears Wants More by Karma Wilson

-          Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People’s Ears by Verna Aardema