Synopses & Reviews
When it was first published, Crossing Bok Chitto took readers by surprise. This moving and original story about the intersection of Native and African Americans received starred reviews and many awards, including being named an ALA Notable Childrenandrsquo;s Book and a Jane Addams Honor Book. Jeanne Rorex Bridgesandrsquo; illustrations mesmerized readersandmdash;Publishers Weekly noted that her andldquo;strong, solid figures gaze squarely out of the frame, beseeching readers to listen, empathize and wonder.andrdquo;
Choctaw storyteller Tim Tingle blends songs, flute, and drum to bring the lore of the Choctaw Nation to life in lively historical, personal, and traditional stories.
Artist Jeanne Rorex Bridges traces her heritage back to her Cherokee ancestors.
Review
"In a picture book that highlights rarely discussed intersections between Native Americans in the South and African Americans in bondage, a noted Choctaw storyteller and Cherokee artist join forces with stirring resultsandhellip; the story [has a] powerful impact on young readers." andmdash;Booklist, starred review
"Crossing Bok Chittoandhellip; tells a tale with a happier ending, but its journey is no less a departure from the narrative of American uplift. In literature for children, this is a lesson as old as the Grimms. But these realities cut deeper than any fantasy." andmdash;The New York Times
"Tingle is a performing storyteller, and his text has the rhythm and grace of that oral tradition. It will be easily and effectively read aloud. The paintings are dark and solemn, and the artist has done a wonderful job of depicting all of the characters as individuals, with many of them looking out of the page right at readers." andmdash;School Library Journal
"A moving and wholly original story about the intersection of culturesandhellip;Bridges creates mural-like paintings with a rock-solid spirituality and stripped-down graphic sensibility, the ideal match for the down-to-earth cadences and poetic drama of the text." andmdash;Publishers Weekly, starred review
"Crossing Bok Chitto is very highly recommended for all young readers as a celebration of diversity, acceptance, and unity in a remarkable production of expert authorship and invaluable illustrations." andmdash;Midwest Book Review, starred review
"A very moving story about friends helping each other and reveals a lesser-known part of American History: Native Americans helped runaway slaves...While, this is a picture book; it would make a wonderful read-aloud for middle elementary students." andmdash;Children's Literature
Synopsis
Skipping Stones Honor Book
Jane Addams Peace Award Honor Book
American Library Association Notable Children's Book 2007
American Indian Library Association (AILA) 2008 Award for Best Picture Book
ALA Book Links: Lasting Connections Pick, 2006 Texas Institute of Letters Best Children's Book of 2006
Texas Bluebonnet Master List 2008-09
Teddy Award, Texas Writers League, 2005
Paterson Prize
Oklahoma Book Award for Best Illustrations, 2007
Oklahoma Book Award for Best Children's Book, 2007
Nominated for the 2008-2009 South Dakota Prairie Pasque Children's Book Award
Anne Izard's Storytellers' Choice Award
American Library Association Notable Children's Book 2007
American Indian Library Association (AILA) 2008 Award for Best Picture Book
ALA Book Links: Lasting Connections Pick, 2006
In this American Indian Youth Literature Award-winning story of cross-cultural friendship, a family of enslaved people and a Choctaw tribe work together on a daring escape.
There is a river called Bok Chitto that cuts through Mississippi. In the days before the War Between the States, in the days before the Trail of Tears, Bok Chitto was a boundary. On one side of the river lived the Choctaws. On the other side lived the plantation owners and their slaves. If a slave escaped and made his way across Bok Chitto, the slave was free.
Thus begins Crossing Bok Chitto, told by award-winning Choctaw storyteller Tim Tingle and brought to life with the rich illustrations of Jeanne Rorex Bridges.
Martha Tom, a young Choctaw girl, knows better than to cross Bok Chitto, but one day--in search of blackberries--she disobeys her mother and finds herself on the other side. When a tall enslaved man discovers Martha Tom, a friendship begins between Martha Tom and the man's family, most particularly his young son, Little Mo. Soon afterwards, Little Mo's mother finds out that she is going to be sold. The situation seems hopeless, until Martha Tom teaches Little Mo's family how to walk on water to their freedom.
This original story was inspired by tales passed down through spoken word. Author notes in the backmatter offer a brief overview of Choctaw history and storytelling traditions, as well as the roots of the tale. Older readers will also enjoy the author's Stone River Crossing, a novel-length expansion of this book.
Synopsis
Jane Addams Peace Award Honor Book
Skipping Stones Honor Book
In this American Indian Youth Literature Award-winning story of cross-cultural friendship, a family of enslaved people and a Choctaw tribe work together on a daring escape.
There is a river called Bok Chitto that cuts through Mississippi. In the days before the War Between the States, in the days before the Trail of Tears, Bok Chitto was a boundary. On one side of the river lived the Choctaws. On the other side lived the plantation owners and their slaves. If a slave escaped and made his way across Bok Chitto, the slave was free.
Thus begins Crossing Bok Chitto, told by award-winning Choctaw storyteller Tim Tingle and brought to life with the rich illustrations of Jeanne Rorex Bridges.
Martha Tom, a young Choctaw girl, knows better than to cross Bok Chitto, but one day--in search of blackberries--she disobeys her mother and finds herself on the other side. When a tall enslaved man discovers Martha Tom, a friendship begins between Martha Tom and the man's family, most particularly his young son, Little Mo. Soon afterwards, Little Mo's mother finds out that she is going to be sold. The situation seems hopeless, until Martha Tom teaches Little Mo's family how to walk on water to their freedom.
This original story was inspired by tales passed down through spoken word. Author notes in the backmatter offer a brief overview of Choctaw history and storytelling traditions, as well as the roots of the tale. Older readers will also enjoy the author's Stone River Crossing, a novel-length expansion of this book.
Synopsis
American Indian Youth Literature Award, American Indian Library Association (AILA)
Notable Children's Book, Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC)
Jane Addams Peace Award Honor Book, American Library Association (ALA)
Skipping Stones Honor Award, Skipping Stones Magazine
Lasting Connection Title, Book Links
In this American Indian Youth Literature Award-winning story of cross-cultural friendship, a family of enslaved people and a Choctaw tribe work together on a daring escape.
There is a river called Bok Chitto that cuts through Mississippi. In the days before the War Between the States, in the days before the Trail of Tears, Bok Chitto was a boundary. On one side of the river lived the Choctaws. On the other side lived the plantation owners and their slaves. If a slave escaped and made his way across Bok Chitto, the slave was free.
Thus begins Crossing Bok Chitto, told by award-winning Choctaw storyteller Tim Tingle and brought to life with the rich illustrations of Jeanne Rorex Bridges.
Martha Tom, a young Choctaw girl, knows better than to cross Bok Chitto, but one day--in search of blackberries--she disobeys her mother and finds herself on the other side. When a tall enslaved man discovers Martha Tom, a friendship begins between Martha Tom and the man's family, most particularly his young son, Little Mo. Soon afterwards, Little Mo's mother finds out that she is going to be sold. The situation seems hopeless, until Martha Tom teaches Little Mo's family how to walk on water to their freedom.
This original story was inspired by tales passed down through spoken word. Author notes in the backmatter offer a brief overview of Choctaw history and storytelling traditions, as well as the roots of the tale. Older readers will also enjoy the author's Stone River Crossing, a novel-length expansion of this book.
Synopsis
In this American Indian Youth Literature Award-winning story of cross-cultural friendship, a family of enslaved people and a Choctaw tribe work together on a daring escape.
There is a river called Bok Chitto that cuts through Mississippi. In the days before the War Between the States, in the days before the Trail of Tears, Bok Chitto was a boundary. On one side of the river lived the Choctaws. On the other side lived the plantation owners and their slaves. If a slave escaped and made his way across Bok Chitto, the slave was free.
Thus begins Crossing Bok Chitto, told by award-winning Choctaw storyteller Tim Tingle and brought to life with the rich illustrations of Jeanne Rorex Bridges.
Martha Tom, a young Choctaw girl, knows better than to cross Bok Chitto, but one day--in search of blackberries--she disobeys her mother and finds herself on the other side. When a tall enslaved man discovers Martha Tom, a friendship begins between Martha Tom and the man's family, most particularly his young son, Little Mo. Soon afterwards, Little Mo's mother finds out that she is going to be sold. The situation seems hopeless, until Martha Tom teaches Little Mo's family how to walk on water to their freedom.
This original story was inspired by tales passed down through spoken word. Author notes in the backmatter offer a brief overview of Choctaw history and storytelling traditions, as well as the roots of the tale. Older readers will also enjoy the author's Stone River Crossing, a novel-length expansion of this book.
Synopsis
American Indian Youth Literature Award Winner 2008 - American Indian Library Association
In this American Indian Youth Literature Award-winning story of cross-cultural friendship, a family of enslaved people and a Choctaw tribe work together on a daring escape.
There is a river called Bok Chitto that cuts through Mississippi. In the days before the War Between the States, in the days before the Trail of Tears, Bok Chitto was a boundary. On one side of the river lived the Choctaws. On the other side lived the plantation owners and their slaves. If a slave escaped and made his way across Bok Chitto, the slave was free.
Thus begins Crossing Bok Chitto, told by award-winning Choctaw storyteller Tim Tingle and brought to life with the rich illustrations of Jeanne Rorex Bridges.
Martha Tom, a young Choctaw girl, knows better than to cross Bok Chitto, but one day--in search of blackberries--she disobeys her mother and finds herself on the other side. When a tall enslaved man discovers Martha Tom, a friendship begins between Martha Tom and the man's family, most particularly his young son, Little Mo. Soon afterwards, Little Mo's mother finds out that she is going to be sold. The situation seems hopeless, until Martha Tom teaches Little Mo's family how to walk on water to their freedom.
This original story was inspired by tales passed down through spoken word. Author notes in the backmatter offer a brief overview of Choctaw history and storytelling traditions, as well as the roots of the tale. Older readers will also enjoy the author's Stone River Crossing, a novel-length expansion of this book.
Synopsis
Seven slaves cross the big river to freedom, led by a Choctaw angel walking on water!
About the Author
Choctaw storyteller Tim Tingle makes his living telling stories and teaching folklore at schools, universities and festivals nationally. The Wordcraft Circle of Native American Writers and Storytellers selected Tim as "Contemporary Storyteller of the Year" for 2001. Tim Tingle lives in Canyon Lake, Texas, near San Antonio. Artist Jeanne Rorex Bridges traces her heritage back to her Cherokee ancestors. Born in Oklahoma, her work is nationally known and has won many awards in Native American art shows, including the 2005 Best of Show at the Five Civilized Tribes Museum. Crossing Bok Chitto is her first fully illustrated book.