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Josie Dances

$17.95
Availability: In stock
SKU
99487179
Josie Dances
Bu Denise Lajimodiere
Illustrator: Angela Erdrich


An Ojibwe girl practices her dance steps, gets help from her family, and is inspired by the soaring flight of Migizi, the eagle, as she prepares for her first powwow.

Josie dreams of dancing at next summer’s powwow. But first she needs many special things: a dress, a shawl, a cape, leggings, moccasins, and, perhaps most important of all, her spirit name. To gather all these essential pieces, she calls on her mom, her aunty, her kookum, and Grandma Greatwalker. They have the skills to prepare Josie for her powwow debut.

As the months go by, Josie practices her dance steps while Mom stitches, Aunty and Kookum bead, and Grandma Greatwalker dreams Josie’s spirit name. Josie is nervous about her performance in the arena and about all the pieces falling into place, but she knows her family is there to support her.

The powwow circle is a welcoming space, and dancers and spectators alike celebrate Josie’s first dance. When she receives her name, she knows it’s just right. Wrapped in the love of her community, Josie dances to honor her ancestors.

In this Ojibwe girl’s coming-of-age story, Denise Lajimodiere highlights her own daughter’s experience at powwow. Elegant artwork by Angela Erdrich features not only Josie and her family but also the animals and seasons and heartbeat of Aki, Mother Earth, and the traditions that link Josie to generations past and yet to come.

Author Information
Denise Lajimodiere is a retired associate professor of educational leadership at North Dakota State University and a citizen of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa. A traditional jingle dress dancer, a poet (Dragonfly Dance; Thunderbird; Bitter Tears; His Feathers Were Chains) and author (Stringing Rosaries), and a birch bark biting artist, she lives in a cozy cottage by a lake on the Turtle Mountain Reservation.

Dr. Angela Erdrich has worked as a pediatrician in Native American communities since 1997. She makes her home in Minneapolis, where she enjoys spotting birds and animals in the wild just as she does at Turtle Mountain, where she is a tribal member. She learned watercolor painting from her high school art teacher. Josie Dances is her first illustrated book.

Product Details
  • Hardcover: 32 pages - Fully Illustrated - Glossary
  • Ages: 3-7 Years
  • Publisher: Minnesota Historical Society Press (May 4, 2021)
  • ISBN: 9781681342078
  • Dimensions: 10 x 10 inches
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