It’s Powwow Time!

PreS-Gr 3–An outwardly simple tale that really captures how children interact with the world. Bineshii goes to a powwow, and these are his sensory experiences, from the buzz of mosquitoes to the “Thump, thump, thump, weh ya hey ya ya, weh ya hey ya ya” of the drums and chanting. He feels “the sun is scorching,” and “Inside the circle, Bineshii moves his whole body to the beat of the drum.” The dialogue is minimal, and most of the text focuses on Bineshii’s participation in the powwow. Certain phrases and noises are repeated, i.e., the “Pop, crack, pop! Pop, crack, pop!” of bacon and eggs cooking in the beginning is echoed by the “Pop, crack pop! Pop, crack, pop!” of the fireworks at the end of the powwow. The vividly colored illustrations burst from the pages with joyful exuberance and energy. The shading creates abstract shapes within shapes. Most illustrations are spreads showing home and the powwow location. Some of the individual drawings contain a single image, such as Bineshii radiating pride and delight as he practices dance steps, surrounded by white space. The text alternates between the top and bottom of page, and words describing sound are in a different font and color. A short author’s note on powwows appears at the end.