Crossing Bok Chitto: A Choctaw Tale of Friendship & Freedom
School year: Year 3, Year 4, Year 5, Year 6, Year 7, Year 8
No. of pages 40
Published: 2008
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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 Children's Book and a Jane Addams Honor Book. Jeanne Rorex Bridges' illustrations mesmerized readers-Publishers Weekly noted that her "strong, solid figures gaze squarely out of the frame, beseeching readers to listen, empathize and wonder."
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.
This book is aimed at children at US 2nd grade-7th grade.
This book has been graded for interest at 7-13 years.
There are 40 pages in this book. This book was published in 2008 by Cinco Puntos Press, U. S. .
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. Tim Tingle and Doc Moore travel throughout the United States and Mexico collecting and telling stories for all ages and perform for children and young adults at countless schools and libraries. They adapted these tales from the popular collection Texas Ghost Stories (Texas Tech UP, 2004).
"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 results... the story [has a] powerful impact on young readers." -Booklist, starred review "Crossing Bok Chitto... 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." -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." -School Library Journal "A moving and wholly original story about the intersection of cultures...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." -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." -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." -Children's Literature