Review: CROSSING BOK CHITTO: A CHOCTAW TALE OF FRIENDSHIP & FREEDOM by Tim Tingle

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Tingle, Tim. 2008. Crossing Bok Chitto. Ill. by Jeanne Rorex Bridges. Cinco Puntos Press. ISBN-10: 1933693207

2. PLOT SUMMARY

“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.”  

Martha Tom is a Choctaw girl who lives with her family and tribe on one side of the Bok Chitto River. One day, Martha Tom’s mother sent her to pick blackberries, and even though she knew it was forbidden, Martha Tom crossed the river using a secret path of stones just under the water’s surface. Martha Tom found her blackberries, but became lost and stumbled upon the meeting of a secret slave church. When she is discovered by a kindly slave, Martha Tom is escorted back to the river’s edge by his son, Little Mo. Martha Tom shows Little Mo the secret path ("Only the Choctaws knew it was there, for the Choctaws had built it,") and as the two become good friends they use the path to visit for years. When Little Mo learns that his mother is to be sold, he comes up with a plan to cross the river and seeks Martha Tom’s help.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Tim Tingle is an award-winning Choctaw story teller who brings this picture book of historical fiction to life with the flowing rhythm that one would expect from an accomplished storyteller.. The story is set on the Bok Chitto River which runs through Mississippi. In this story, the Bok Chitto River divides the Choctaw Nation from the slaves living on the other side of the river “in the days before the War Between the States” and “before the Trail of Tears. ”Crossing Bok Chito reveals a part of Native American history that is not well known; that of helping run-away slaves.

Historical and cultural authenticity is well represented through the end pages which contain history of the Choctaw Nation and an author’s note on Choctaw storytelling. In the author’s note on Choctaw storytelling, Tingle tells of his visit with a tribal elder who pointed out a home where, “those folks used to help runaway slaves.” The elder also took Tingle to where he could catch a glimpse of a Choctaw wedding ceremony such as the one mentioned in Crossing Bok Chitto.

Jeanne Rorex Bridges is an award winning artist who is of Cherokee ancestry. Her soft, mural-like paintings capture the reader or listener’s imagination. The illustrations are simple and bold enough that children will be able to see them easily when the story is read to them. Muted colors set the serious and somewhat sacred tone of the book and add depth to the text.

This is the story of friendship and bravery; it is a story of helping others and doing what is right even when it is dangerous. The book is recommended for ages 5 and up, but an even wider range of readers will enjoy the captivating story and mesmerizing pictures.  

4. REVIEW EXCERPTS

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL REVIEW: “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.” “This is a lovely story, beautifully illustrated, though the ending requires a somewhat large leap of the imagination.”

BOOKLIST STARRED 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 results.”

AWARDS

Texas Institute of Letters Best Children’s Book of 2006

Texas Bluebonnet Master List 2008-2009
American Indian Library Association (ALA) 2008 Award for Best Picture Book
ALA Notable Children’s Book 
Jane Addams Honor Book

5. CONNECTIONS

Other books by Tim Tingle:

Tingle, Tim. Saltypie: A Choctaw Journey from Darkness into Light. ISBN-10: 1933693673.

Tingle, Tim. Walking the Choctaw Road : Stories from Red People Memory. ISBN-10: 0938317741.
Tingle, Tim. Spirits Dark and Light: Supernatural Tales from the Five Civilized Tribes. ISBN-10: 0874837782.
Tingle, Tim. When Turtle Grew Feathers: A Tale from the Choctaw Nation. ISBN-10: 0874837774.
Tingle, Tim. Danny Blackgoat, Navajo Prisoner. ISBN-10: 193905303X.