CROSSING BOK CHITTO: A CHOCTAW TALE OF FRIENDSHIP AND FREEDOM

CROSSING BOK CHITTO: A CHOCTAW TALE OF FRIENDSHIP AND FREEDOM

by Tim Tingle
Illustrated by Jeanne Rorex Bridges

Image credit: www.cincopuntos.com

1. Bibliography

Tingle, Tim. Crossing Bok Chitto. Ill. by Jeanne Rorex Bridges. El Paso, TX: Cinco Puntos Press. ISBN 978-0-938317-77-7

2. Plot Summary 

One morning, a Choctaw girl, Martha Tom, is asked by her mother to gather a basket full of blackberries.  She cannot find the berries, so she decides to use the stone path that goes across the Bok Chitto.  The Bok Chitto is the river that snakes through Mississippi, but it also separates the Choctaw land from the plantation where slaves are working.  Martha Tom eventually finds blackberries on the other side of the river, but she gets lost and ends up in the middle of a slave church service in the woods.  A kind African American man finds her and has his son, Little Mo, help her back to the river.  At the river, Martha Tom shows Little Mo the secret stone path she uses to cross the river.  On that day, the two children begin a lasting friendship.  When Little Mo's mother finds out she has been sold and will be separated from her family forever, Little Mo decides to lead his family to the stone path in the river.  The Choctaw people come out to help them cross safely and Little Mo's family makes it across the Bok Chitto to freedom, led by Martha Tom who appears to be an angel walking on water.

3. Critical Analysis

This moving story of friendship and courage is a convergence of two cultural groups, the Native American and African American.  An interaction between these two groups is not often seen in children's literature which makes this book especially interesting.  Martha Tom and Little Mo begin the story as unruly children, but, by the end of the story, they show wit and bravery to help Little Mo's family escape toward freedom.  The fast-paced plot paired with the bold portraits of the characters is perfect for a classroom read-aloud.  

Bridges's somber paintings with muted earth-tones bring gravity to the events in the story, while still being visually appealing.  The details in Bridges's illustrations accurately portray differences in each culture.  The various skin tones, facial features, and hairstyles depict Native American, African American and white people in a unique way.  The illustrations show the Native American women wearing "white cotton dresses", which the reader learns is a ceremonial garment in their culture.     

The cultural markers abound in this text as the two cultures are placed side by side.  Even the sounds of the cultures are celebrated in this story.  When Martha Tom hears the voices of the "forbidden slave church", she "had never heard music like this before, but it touched her deeply".  Little Mo is similarly affected by the "old wedding song" of the Choctaw people.  Although the Bok Chitto is meant to serve as a physical barrier dividing the people of two cultures,  in this story, it only brings the two groups together.

4. Review Excerpts and Awards

BOOKLIST (April 2006) "Sophisticated endnotes about Choctaw history and storytelling traditions don't clarify whether Tingle's tale is original or retold, but this oversight won't affect the story's powerful impact on young readers."

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY (March 2006) "Bridges creates mural-like paintings with a rock-solid spirituality and stripped-down sensibility, the ideal match for the down-to-earth cadences and poetic drama of the text.  Many of the illustrations serve essentially as portraits, and they're utterly mesmerizing-strong, solid figures gaze squarely out of the frame, beseeching readers to listen, empathize, and wonder."

• American Indian Youth Literature Award, 2008
• American Library Association Notable Children's Book, 2007
• Jane Addams Peace Award Honor Book
• Oklahoma Book Award for Best Children's Book, 2007
• Oklahoma Book Award for Best Illustrations, 2007
• Paterson Prize for Books for Young People, 2007
• Skipping Stones Honor Book, 2007
• Texas Bluebonnet Master List, 2008-2009

5. Connections

• Students that enjoyed this interesting story might read Tim Tingle's other stories of Native American life, such as Saltypie or When Turtle Grew Feathers.
• This story could be paired with a story about the Underground Railroad, so that students could compare the many ways that slaves made their way to freedom against great odds.