<DIV><p><i>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.</i></p><p>Thus begins <i>Crossing Bok Chitto</i>, told by award-winning Choctaw storyteller Tim Tingle and brought to life with the rich illustrations of Jeanne Rorex Bridges.</p><p>Martha Tom, a young Choctaw girl, knows better than to cross Bok Chitto, but one day&mdash;in search of blackberries&mdash;she disobeys her mother and finds herself on the other side. A tall slave discovers Martha Tom. A friendship begins between Martha Tom and the slave&rsquo;s family, most particularly his young son, Little Mo. Soon afterwards, Little Mo&rsquo;s mother finds out that she is going to be sold. The situation seems hopeless, except that Martha Tom teaches Little Mo&rsquo;s family how to walk on water to their freedom.</p><p>Choctaw storyteller <b>Tim Tingle</b> blends songs, cedar flute, and drum with tribal lore to bring the lore of the Choctaw Nation to life in lively historical, personal, and traditional stories. His collection of stories <i>Walking the Choctaw Road</i> was selected as the Oklahoma Book of the Year.</p><p>Artist <b>Jeanne Rorex Bridges</b> traces her heritage back to her Cherokee ancestors. <i>Crossing Bok Chitto</i> is her first fully illustrated book.</p></DIV>