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Saltypie: A Choctaw Journey from Darkness into Light
Bee stings on the backside! That was just the beginning. Tim was about to enter a world of the past, with bullying boys, stones and Indian spirits of long ago. But they were real spirits, real stones, very real memories…
In this powerful family saga, author Tim Tingle tells the story of his family’s move from Oklahoma Choctaw country to Pasadena, TX. Spanning 50 years, Saltypie describes the problems encountered by his Choctaw grandmother—from her orphan days at an Indian boarding school to hardships encountered in her new home on the Gulf Coast.
Tingle says, “Stories of modern Indian families rarely grace the printed page. Long before I began writing, I knew this story must be told.” Seen through the innocent eyes of a young boy, Saltypie — a 2011 Skipping Stones honor book, WordCraft Circle 2012 Children's Literature Award-winner, and winner of the 2011 Paterson Prize for Books for Young People in the category of Grades 4-6 — is the story of one family’s efforts to honor the past while struggling to gain a foothold in modern America.
Tim Tingle, a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, is a sought-after storyteller for folklore festivals, library conferences, and schools across America. At the request of Choctaw Chief Pyle, Tim tells a story to the tribe every year before Pyle’s State of the Nation Address at the Choctaw Labor Day Gathering. Tim’s previous and often reprinted books from Cinco Puntos Press—Walking the Choctaw Road and Crossing Bok Chitto—received numerous awards, but what makes Tim the proudest is the recognition he receives from the American Indian communities.
Karen Clarkson, a Choctaw tribal member, is a self-taught artist who specializes in portraits of Native Americans. She did not start painting until after her children had left home; she has since been widely acclaimed as a Native American painter. She lives in San Leandro, California.
In this powerful family saga, author Tim Tingle tells the story of his family’s move from Oklahoma Choctaw country to Pasadena, TX. Spanning 50 years, Saltypie describes the problems encountered by his Choctaw grandmother—from her orphan days at an Indian boarding school to hardships encountered in her new home on the Gulf Coast.
Tingle says, “Stories of modern Indian families rarely grace the printed page. Long before I began writing, I knew this story must be told.” Seen through the innocent eyes of a young boy, Saltypie — a 2011 Skipping Stones honor book, WordCraft Circle 2012 Children's Literature Award-winner, and winner of the 2011 Paterson Prize for Books for Young People in the category of Grades 4-6 — is the story of one family’s efforts to honor the past while struggling to gain a foothold in modern America.
Tim Tingle, a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, is a sought-after storyteller for folklore festivals, library conferences, and schools across America. At the request of Choctaw Chief Pyle, Tim tells a story to the tribe every year before Pyle’s State of the Nation Address at the Choctaw Labor Day Gathering. Tim’s previous and often reprinted books from Cinco Puntos Press—Walking the Choctaw Road and Crossing Bok Chitto—received numerous awards, but what makes Tim the proudest is the recognition he receives from the American Indian communities.
Karen Clarkson, a Choctaw tribal member, is a self-taught artist who specializes in portraits of Native Americans. She did not start painting until after her children had left home; she has since been widely acclaimed as a Native American painter. She lives in San Leandro, California.
40 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1, 2010
2 people are currently reading
301 people want to read
About the author
Tim Tingle
50 books128 followersTim Tingle, a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, is a popular presenter at storytelling and folklore festivals across America. He was featured at the 2002 National Storytelling Festival. In 2004, he was a Teller-In-Residence at The International Storytelling Center, Jonesborough, Tennessee. Choctaw Chief Gregory Pyle has requested a story by Tingle previous to his Annual State of the Nation Address at the Choctaw Labor Day Gathering--a celebration that attracts over thirty thousand people-- from 2002 to the present.
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February 1, 2013
Before you read Tim Tingle's Saltypie to your child or students in your classroom or library, spend some time studying what Tingle says at the end of the book, on the pages titled "How Much Can We Tell Them?"
There, you'll learn a little about Tim's childhood, and some about his father, grandmother, the Choctaw Nation, and, the rock-throwing incident in the book. Here's an excerpt:
I have similar memories of my own. I watched the Indians on television and thought they weren't really Indians. I knew that we were Pueblo Indians, but we didn't look or live anything at all like the ones on TV, so I figured they weren't real. Tingle's note has a lot of very powerful information in it:
and
Tingle's note goes on to talk about things the Choctaw people experienced, such as the Trail of Tears, boarding school and racism. And, he talks about stereotypes in children's books, and he suggests that teachers can use Saltypie to dispel some of those stereotypes.
Turning now, to the book itself. In it are several stories of events the Tim's life.
The first double-paged spread of the book shows a young boy with bees around him. He's wearing a bright green button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up. The first story is about getting stung by a bee. Tingle's opening sentences capture the reader right away:
From there, Tingle takes his readers back to his grandmother's early years as a mother and tells us about the word "saltypie." The year was 1915, and Tim's grandparents (and Tim's dad, who was then two years old), moved to Texas. On that first morning In Texas, his grandmother stepped outside her new home, and was struck in the face by a stone, thrown, Tingle writes, by a boy. Covering her face with her hands, blood seeped between her fingers. Not knowing it was blood, Tim's father (then a toddler), thought it was cherry pie filling. He reached up, got some on his fingertip, and tasted it. Course, it wasn't the sweet taste he expected, and he uttered "Saltypie!" and spit it out. His mother hugged him. Though she was crying and shaken by the incident, she saw humor in her son's unmet expectation of something sweet, and laughed as she held him.
Moving forward in time to 1954 when Tingle is six years old. He and his dad are visiting Mawmaw and Pawpaw, who still live in that house they moved to in 1915. Tingle asks if he, like the adults gathered around the table, can have a cup of coffee. He watches as Mawmaw pours coffee, and sees that she puts her thumb into each cup before she fills it. He doesn't want her thumb in his cup, and covers it with his hand. Pawpaw and Tim's aunt are surprised by his action, and his aunt takes him outside for a moment, where he learns that Mawmaw is blind.
In a family gathering that night, Tim learns a lot about his grandmother's life. From his uncle, he learns about the stone that was thrown at her because people didn't like Indians and didn't want them around.
The word "Saltypie" we learn as Tim's uncle speaks to him, has come to mean:
The next story Tingle relates is set in 1970, when his grandmother is hospitalized for an eye transplant through which they hope she will regain her sight. His extended family is gathered round, waiting, telling stories to pass the time. By then, Tingle is a college student.
One of the stories Tim told is about his grandmother's years at Tuskahoma Academy, a boarding school for American Indian girls. The color palette on the page for that story is, appropriately, a somber blue. There, Mawmaw as a young child, stands, looking wistful, stuck at the school at Christmas time. That illustration is exceedingly powerful. Actually, it is only one of many illustrations in the book that are astounding in what they convey.
The illustrator for the book is Karen Clarkson. Like Tingle, she is enrolled with the Choctaw Nation. As I noted earlier, the very first page shows us young Tim, in agony, having been stung by a bee. Page after page, Clarkson's illustrations portray a modern Native family. From bright sunny pages bursting with life to the quiet ones that slow us (readers) down to absorb the stories told on that page, Clarkson's illustrations are terrific.
I particularly like the one of the family, waiting for news about the operation. The waiting room is crowded with members of their family who catch up on news and tell stories. I've spent many hours with my own family---siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles---as we waited for the outcome of a family members surgery. That large gathering often takes hospital staff by surprise when they first start working amongst Native people.
From Tingle's note at the end of the book, to the stories he tells, and Clarkson's illustrations, this book is exceptional. Order it, study it, and share it. And, learn more about Tim Tingle and Karen Clarkson. While you're at it, order Tingle's other books, too. Crossing Bok Chitto and When Turtle Grew Feathers are gems.
And yes, if you're wondering, Mawmaw does regain her sight:
The closing paragraph in this very fine book is the one I'll end this post with, too:
~~~~~
This review was first published at American Indians in Children's Literature:
http://americanindiansinchildrenslite...)
I invite you to visit See What We See for additional reviews of books about people of color:
http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/9...
There, you'll learn a little about Tim's childhood, and some about his father, grandmother, the Choctaw Nation, and, the rock-throwing incident in the book. Here's an excerpt:
I always knew we were Choctaws, but as a child I never understood that we were Indians. The movies and books about Indians showed Indians on horseback. My family drove cars and pickup trucks. Movie Indians lived in teepees. We lived in modern houses. Indians in books and on television hunted with bows and arrows. My father and my uncles hunted, too, with shotguns, but mostly they fished.
I have similar memories of my own. I watched the Indians on television and thought they weren't really Indians. I knew that we were Pueblo Indians, but we didn't look or live anything at all like the ones on TV, so I figured they weren't real. Tingle's note has a lot of very powerful information in it:
We know our history never included teepees or buffaloes. We were people of the woods and swamps of what is now called Mississippi. Early Choctaws had gardens and farms. For hundreds of years, they lived in wooden houses.
and
Long before explorers arrived from Europe, we had a government, a Choctaw national government. We selected local and national leaders. We recognized women as equal citizens.
Did you do a double take as you read his words? I bet your students will! Indian people---prior to Europeans arrival on the continent that came to be known as North America---had governments?! Women were equal citizens?!! Those are powerful and important words for you (the adult) to carry with you every single time you pick up a book that has American Indians in it. We weren't primitive. We weren't savage.
Tingle's note goes on to talk about things the Choctaw people experienced, such as the Trail of Tears, boarding school and racism. And, he talks about stereotypes in children's books, and he suggests that teachers can use Saltypie to dispel some of those stereotypes.
Turning now, to the book itself. In it are several stories of events the Tim's life.
The first double-paged spread of the book shows a young boy with bees around him. He's wearing a bright green button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up. The first story is about getting stung by a bee. Tingle's opening sentences capture the reader right away:
A bee sting on the bottom! Who could ever forget a bee sting on the bottom?
No doubt, those lines will elicit laughs, shivers and groans from children--especially those who know the throbbing pain of a bee sting! Obviously in distress, the boy runs to an arbor where his grandmother, who he calls Mawmaw, comforts him, but teaches him, too, when she asks "Didn't you hear the bees?" and says the bee sting was "some kind of saltypie."
From there, Tingle takes his readers back to his grandmother's early years as a mother and tells us about the word "saltypie." The year was 1915, and Tim's grandparents (and Tim's dad, who was then two years old), moved to Texas. On that first morning In Texas, his grandmother stepped outside her new home, and was struck in the face by a stone, thrown, Tingle writes, by a boy. Covering her face with her hands, blood seeped between her fingers. Not knowing it was blood, Tim's father (then a toddler), thought it was cherry pie filling. He reached up, got some on his fingertip, and tasted it. Course, it wasn't the sweet taste he expected, and he uttered "Saltypie!" and spit it out. His mother hugged him. Though she was crying and shaken by the incident, she saw humor in her son's unmet expectation of something sweet, and laughed as she held him.
Moving forward in time to 1954 when Tingle is six years old. He and his dad are visiting Mawmaw and Pawpaw, who still live in that house they moved to in 1915. Tingle asks if he, like the adults gathered around the table, can have a cup of coffee. He watches as Mawmaw pours coffee, and sees that she puts her thumb into each cup before she fills it. He doesn't want her thumb in his cup, and covers it with his hand. Pawpaw and Tim's aunt are surprised by his action, and his aunt takes him outside for a moment, where he learns that Mawmaw is blind.
In a family gathering that night, Tim learns a lot about his grandmother's life. From his uncle, he learns about the stone that was thrown at her because people didn't like Indians and didn't want them around.
The word "Saltypie" we learn as Tim's uncle speaks to him, has come to mean:
"... a way of dealing with trouble, son. Sometimes you don't know where the trouble comes from. You just kinda shrug it off, say saltypie. It helps you carry on."
The next story Tingle relates is set in 1970, when his grandmother is hospitalized for an eye transplant through which they hope she will regain her sight. His extended family is gathered round, waiting, telling stories to pass the time. By then, Tingle is a college student.
One of the stories Tim told is about his grandmother's years at Tuskahoma Academy, a boarding school for American Indian girls. The color palette on the page for that story is, appropriately, a somber blue. There, Mawmaw as a young child, stands, looking wistful, stuck at the school at Christmas time. That illustration is exceedingly powerful. Actually, it is only one of many illustrations in the book that are astounding in what they convey.
The illustrator for the book is Karen Clarkson. Like Tingle, she is enrolled with the Choctaw Nation. As I noted earlier, the very first page shows us young Tim, in agony, having been stung by a bee. Page after page, Clarkson's illustrations portray a modern Native family. From bright sunny pages bursting with life to the quiet ones that slow us (readers) down to absorb the stories told on that page, Clarkson's illustrations are terrific.
I particularly like the one of the family, waiting for news about the operation. The waiting room is crowded with members of their family who catch up on news and tell stories. I've spent many hours with my own family---siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles---as we waited for the outcome of a family members surgery. That large gathering often takes hospital staff by surprise when they first start working amongst Native people.
From Tingle's note at the end of the book, to the stories he tells, and Clarkson's illustrations, this book is exceptional. Order it, study it, and share it. And, learn more about Tim Tingle and Karen Clarkson. While you're at it, order Tingle's other books, too. Crossing Bok Chitto and When Turtle Grew Feathers are gems.
And yes, if you're wondering, Mawmaw does regain her sight:
It was so right that my father, who had given us this word [saltypie] fifty years ago in a moment of childhood misunderstanding, would now take it away in a moment of enlightenment. He lifted his eyes and spoke.
"No more saltypie," he said. "Mawmaw can see."
The closing paragraph in this very fine book is the one I'll end this post with, too:
We all leave footfalls, everywhere we go. We change the people we meet. If we learn to listen to the quiet and secret music, as my Mawmaw did, we will leave happy footfalls behind us in our going.
We can, if we choose, leave happy footfalls, and books like this one can help us do that.
~~~~~
This review was first published at American Indians in Children's Literature:
http://americanindiansinchildrenslite...)
I invite you to visit See What We See for additional reviews of books about people of color:
http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/9...
June 26, 2017
I knew, when requesting this, that it's an important story. And that it would be powerful, and intense. I did not realize how beautiful it would be. And I did not realize how much I would learn from the author's note in the back. Thank you, Mr. Tingle and Ms Clarkson, for creating this book for all of us and for all of our children.
March 21, 2020
Tim Tingle - a Choctaw storyteller and children's author, whose
Crossing Bok Chitto: A Choctaw Tale of Friendship & Freedom
won an American Indian Youth Literature Award - tells the story of Mawmaw, his grandmother, in this moving autobiographical picture-book. With her sweet smile, and her "quiet funny laugh, like there was so much more to laugh at than you would ever know," gentle Mawmaw was the heart of young Tim's family: the one to whom he would run, when stung by a bee, the one who really knew how to listen. He grew up hearing the stories of his family's move from Choctaw country to Texas: of the rock thrown at Mawmaw, when she was a young woman, because she was an Indian; and of the invention of the word "Saltypie" by his own father, in response to the rock-throwing incident, and the injury it caused - a word that would come, in the Tingle family, to stand for the hardships of life. It wasn't until he was six, that young Tim even realized that Mawmaw was blind...
Like his grandmother, Tim Tingle has a gentle and deeply affecting style, making Saltypie: A Choctaw Journey from Darkness into Light one of those books that really creeps up on you, emotionally speaking. One minute you're reading a fairly simple picture-book about a modern Choctaw family's experiences, and then suddenly you're starting to tear up, as all the Tingles rush to the hospital, when Mawmaw must have an operation, or to really think about how we communicate with one another, and how we confront the wrongs done in the past, when reading Tingle's afterword. The accompanying illustrations by Karen Clarkson, also a member of the Choctaw nation, really capture the various people in the story - particularly Mawmaw, both young and old.
As the narrator says at one point: "At Mawmaw's, it always seemed that if you waited quietly, you could know things that ought to be known, hidden in the sounds." And that's what this book is like: it tells you things you ought to know - about racism, about family, about healing - in a quiet, compassionate way that is all the more effective, for its lack of sensationalism. Well done, Tim Tingle and Karen Clarkson!
Like his grandmother, Tim Tingle has a gentle and deeply affecting style, making Saltypie: A Choctaw Journey from Darkness into Light one of those books that really creeps up on you, emotionally speaking. One minute you're reading a fairly simple picture-book about a modern Choctaw family's experiences, and then suddenly you're starting to tear up, as all the Tingles rush to the hospital, when Mawmaw must have an operation, or to really think about how we communicate with one another, and how we confront the wrongs done in the past, when reading Tingle's afterword. The accompanying illustrations by Karen Clarkson, also a member of the Choctaw nation, really capture the various people in the story - particularly Mawmaw, both young and old.
As the narrator says at one point: "At Mawmaw's, it always seemed that if you waited quietly, you could know things that ought to be known, hidden in the sounds." And that's what this book is like: it tells you things you ought to know - about racism, about family, about healing - in a quiet, compassionate way that is all the more effective, for its lack of sensationalism. Well done, Tim Tingle and Karen Clarkson!
September 7, 2019
This book is spectacular. Hopeful and honest and well-written, with illustrations that capture mood brilliantly. The story itself is one of pain and triumph and family, and it is written in a way that is completely appropriate for children. But as good as the book is, the truly amazing part is the afterword - How Much Can We Tell Them?. It discusses the balance between what native people know and what they say. I mean read just a couple of quotes - "How much can we tell them before they cover their ears and refuse to listen to our stories? Many non-Indian people have difficulty believing that bigotry could still be alive, or could ever have been alive, in the settling of our nation, in our dealings with Indians." Or this one - "Can we tell them that the vast majority of children's books written about Indians in America were not written by Indians? Can we convince them that this matters?" And this doesn't even cover what Tingle writes about stereotypes and teaching and changing wrongs. It is three pages longs, and seriously, it is a masterpiece.
August 17, 2014
This is the most beautiful children's book I have read in a long time. It is an example of a story that accurately reflects a Native culture (the Choctaw). There are many parts that will resonate with Native readers - and this is possible because the author himself is Choctaw.
Instructionally, this is an example of a complex text, both for the subjects and the vocabulary and sentence structure. The basic story line, a child's times with his grandmother, then grandmother going to the hospital, is wound around a story line of an important social issue - racism. Both of these story lines are wound around Choctaw culture and the importance of family and perseverance.
This book shows Native people in contemporary times as well as in decades past. Tim Tingle naturally portrays the Choctaw as real, feeling human beings, unlike many books written about Native people.
This is a great book to open classroom or family discussions on social issues. I'd highly recommend it for your own children from 2nd through 6th grade (or older, even) and for teachers to discuss with students. It would definitely meet the Common Core Standards of text complexity, while sill being accessible.
Instructionally, this is an example of a complex text, both for the subjects and the vocabulary and sentence structure. The basic story line, a child's times with his grandmother, then grandmother going to the hospital, is wound around a story line of an important social issue - racism. Both of these story lines are wound around Choctaw culture and the importance of family and perseverance.
This book shows Native people in contemporary times as well as in decades past. Tim Tingle naturally portrays the Choctaw as real, feeling human beings, unlike many books written about Native people.
This is a great book to open classroom or family discussions on social issues. I'd highly recommend it for your own children from 2nd through 6th grade (or older, even) and for teachers to discuss with students. It would definitely meet the Common Core Standards of text complexity, while sill being accessible.
May 20, 2016
This intergenerational story about cultural identity and unfounded prejudices is heartrending. The author recalls a time when he experienced pain and his beloved Choctaw grandmother tried to make him feel better by sharing a painful memory of her own from a time when the family lived in California. His small amount of agony is surely lessened when he learns that she was blinded as the result of someone throwing a stone at her. The text and the large, colorful illustrations that fill each page lend an intimacy to the story that makes readers feel as though they are privy to a private moment shared among family members. Through the entire story there is a feeling of acceptance, resilience, and quiet facing down of the prejudices that many Native Americans have experienced. Tingle's storytelling talents are on full display here, and readers will be moved by the family love that permeates each page and makes it possible to keep going even through life's most challenging moments. Skilled teachers will use this book to unpack ideas about prejudices, injustices, and thoughtless acts and words that harm others.
October 14, 2020
Star rating: 5
Copyright: 2010
Genre: Traditional Literature
Theme: Overcoming adversity; Legacy; Family; Choctaw heritage
I choose to read this book because I grew up in Oklahoma among many Choctaw people. What a great book with a very powerful lesson! I also loved that many of the illustrations were so realistic. You could see the wisdom and years etched in the lines of Mawmaw’s face. This will be a great read aloud book and addition to my classroom library!
Copyright: 2010
Genre: Traditional Literature
Theme: Overcoming adversity; Legacy; Family; Choctaw heritage
I choose to read this book because I grew up in Oklahoma among many Choctaw people. What a great book with a very powerful lesson! I also loved that many of the illustrations were so realistic. You could see the wisdom and years etched in the lines of Mawmaw’s face. This will be a great read aloud book and addition to my classroom library!
January 20, 2016
Beautifully illustrated, autobiographical children’s book has many important messages – respect for elders, understanding your heritage, aging with grace and dignity, overcoming life’s obstacles – but the story bounced from present to past to present and there were no smooth transitions. Ages 5-8.
May 4, 2022
This picturebook guided me to think about what are the appricpate ages to learn about tragedy in their or others' family and how much adults need to share with them. It is always challenging to share a story that hurts one's family physically and/or mentally. This picturebook can introduce the cruel history of Indians in this country. The text, "That was enough back then (n.p)," resonates with me. Underrepresented people are often exposed to physical and verbal violence due to various reasons: colonization, racial bias, language discrimination, etc. No matter how much we share the trauma with children, I believe that it should be followed by an in-depth conversation of reading their minds. Every child and adult has different tolerance and experiences with certain topics. In this sense, this picturebook illustrates how the family members sit together, explain what happened to the grandmother, and answer the child's questions. Without this process, a child can build negative feelings. The author's page at the end of the picture book tells he sees the distance between his life and the representation of Indians in picturebooks or movies. This page also shows how they see women as equal citizens. Considering residential schools argue they aim to civilize Indian children, it is nonsense to civilize children by separating them from their family and community and getting rid of their language and culture. This page also reminds us that they are here with us now. Those picturebooks which only capture certain Indian cultures in the past can create stereotypes of these people. These stereotypes make it hard for us to bond together as citizens of this country.
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April 5, 2018This book was a 2012 American Indian Library Association's Youth Literature Award Picture Book Honor Book -- the only one of the four honor books from that year that I could actually get from any of my local library networks.
Like Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve's The Christmas Coat: Memories of My Sioux Childhood , this draws on the author's own childhood -- though while I think The Christmas Coat may be a somewhat fictionalized account, this book seems intentionally telling the story of the author's ... well of his grandmother, specifically. We start with a childhood experience of the author's and move both forward and backward in time to weave a story of his grandmother, though one grounded in the author's own voice and experience.
It's very clearly a story of Choctaw experience, but it also feels very familiar to readers of USian historical fiction picturebooks -- the events of the story span 1915 to 1970, mostly in less urban environments. The illustrations are soft and warm.
I don't love the deployment of disability in the latter portion of the story -- though the scene in the hospital waiting room is quite lovely.
Like Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve's The Christmas Coat: Memories of My Sioux Childhood , this draws on the author's own childhood -- though while I think The Christmas Coat may be a somewhat fictionalized account, this book seems intentionally telling the story of the author's ... well of his grandmother, specifically. We start with a childhood experience of the author's and move both forward and backward in time to weave a story of his grandmother, though one grounded in the author's own voice and experience.
It's very clearly a story of Choctaw experience, but it also feels very familiar to readers of USian historical fiction picturebooks -- the events of the story span 1915 to 1970, mostly in less urban environments. The illustrations are soft and warm.
I don't love the deployment of disability in the latter portion of the story -- though the scene in the hospital waiting room is quite lovely.
January 20, 2019
1/20/2019 ~ An #ownvoices tale about a Choctaw grandmother. The end matter is thought-provoking and important for teachers to read. When we discuss U.S. history and Native Americans with our students, it is crucial to consider stereotypes, differences among tribes, and how American Indian experiences have changed across time.
About this particular book: When I read the first page of the story, I felt as if I'd jumped into the middle of the story; I even checked to see if the book had missing pages. The writing at the sentence or page level is evocative and the illustrations are magnificent. However, I struggled with the story. Is this a biography of the author's grandmother? Is this an explanation of the history of the family's use of the term saltypie? Is it a homily on rising above prejudice and discrimination? Overall, I felt that the through-line of the story was jumbled.
About this particular book: When I read the first page of the story, I felt as if I'd jumped into the middle of the story; I even checked to see if the book had missing pages. The writing at the sentence or page level is evocative and the illustrations are magnificent. However, I struggled with the story. Is this a biography of the author's grandmother? Is this an explanation of the history of the family's use of the term saltypie? Is it a homily on rising above prejudice and discrimination? Overall, I felt that the through-line of the story was jumbled.
August 14, 2020
A story of family, endurance, and life as a modern Indigenous person (Choctaw, specifically). This is Tingle's own story of his grandmother and a family word created by his father, used to describe something bad that has happened. This sort of family lore is bundled together, somehow turning all the saltypie moments described into something that makes the family who they are together. The author's note at the end, talking about "how much can we tell them" about sharing the Indigenous experience with non-Indigenous people is very interesting. Dr. Reese recommends reading the author's note first and using that as a discussion point for reading this book with children and I agree. I think that would open reader's minds in a unique way to this story.
December 25, 2017
This is a story about Tingle's family, mostly focused around his grandmother.
It's not entirely in chronological order, but the flow of the story makes sense. It talks about Tingle's childhood through when he was in college or so, a bit about his dad's childhood, and his grandmother's childhood, touching on key events in Choctaw history and how they impacted the family.
The afterword is really helpful for context of the story and for thinking about how to read the book with kids (especially non-Native kids).
It's not entirely in chronological order, but the flow of the story makes sense. It talks about Tingle's childhood through when he was in college or so, a bit about his dad's childhood, and his grandmother's childhood, touching on key events in Choctaw history and how they impacted the family.
The afterword is really helpful for context of the story and for thinking about how to read the book with kids (especially non-Native kids).
October 21, 2018
One of the first things that stood out to me in this book is the beautiful illustrations. These illustrations were so good that they almost looked real to me. I also found this story very interesting just because the family in this story definitely has a different way they live than I do. I think this is a good story for everyone that also includes some great messages. I highly recommend this book!
February 22, 2019
This book would be appropriate for those in the primary grades. This book expresses a lot of adversity, the family had to deal with a lot of problems because they were seen as being inferior because they were native Americans. I think this would be a good book in the classroom to help show kids the differences in how people experience life and how we can learn that treating people like that isn't okay.
October 11, 2020
Star rating: 4
Copyright date: 2010
Theme: Choctaw journey, bullying, trauma.
My favorite part of this book was when the grandmother got eye transplant surgery. The whole Tingle clan was at the hospital and it showed the bond they share. It was a happy ending that she regained her eye sight. I also liked when the young boy asked his uncle what saltypie meant. I would read this book to my class as it shows the culture and hardships some of the Choctaw Indians faced.
Copyright date: 2010
Theme: Choctaw journey, bullying, trauma.
My favorite part of this book was when the grandmother got eye transplant surgery. The whole Tingle clan was at the hospital and it showed the bond they share. It was a happy ending that she regained her eye sight. I also liked when the young boy asked his uncle what saltypie meant. I would read this book to my class as it shows the culture and hardships some of the Choctaw Indians faced.
November 21, 2017
The following website has been invaluable to me as I search for respectful literature featuring Native American protagonists and their history. The site led me to Saltypie, which I think is a wonderful book.
https://americanindiansinchildrenslit...
https://americanindiansinchildrenslit...
February 22, 2019
This book is a great resource for elementary school classrooms. It details the story of a Choctaw Indians' move to Texas and the racism they encountered there. This is a good book to include if ever talking about grandparents because it's all about Tim Tingle's grandmother. This is also a good book to include when talking about racism in the United States.
February 23, 2019
This book was by far my favorite. The story follows a young boy discovering the story of his native-american grandmother and the trials she had shrugged off throughout her lifetime. It demonstrates the closeness of the native-american culture and the importance of family. I loved this book and I think it brings a unique perspective to the classroom.
April 27, 2021
This story is wonderful and has a great narrative of the Choctaw tribe. There is a lot of information and it can be harder for young students to follow along with and catch certain messages throughout the book. I would defiantly recommend this for older student who are able to understand secret messages.
September 7, 2017
This story is about the problems encountered by a grandmother of a Choctaw family. It's about her orphan days in an Indian boarding school to the hardships she met in her new home in the Texas Gulf Coast.
November 2, 2020
Tim Tingle gives an autobiographical account of himself as a child, and his close relationship to his blind grandmother. Pieces of Choctaw history are woven into the narrative, including his grandmother’s time at an Indian boarding school. Recommended for third grade and up
April 17, 2021
Wow, what a read. I'll be thinking about this one for a long time. The illustrations truly did the story justice, adding nuance, layers, and grounding.
Companion read: "Lola and I" by Chiara Valentina Segre and Paolo Domeniconi.
Companion read: "Lola and I" by Chiara Valentina Segre and Paolo Domeniconi.
June 30, 2022
Super wonderful story to help kids keep perspective despite the hurts (large and small) in life. The illustrations in this one are excellent and serve to highlight the strong imagery of the story. Wonderful example of memoir for the classroom as well.
December 26, 2017
Saltypie is a word that Tim Tingle's father made up as a child.
This is a story about being Indian in modern America and about dealing with hardship as best you can.
This is a story about being Indian in modern America and about dealing with hardship as best you can.
October 13, 2018
This is an amazing book.
January 13, 2019
Tim Tingle is one of my favourite American storytellers. This is based on the true story of his grandmother and how she lost and regained her sight. Karen Clarkson's artwork is magnificent.
February 4, 2019
True story of the authors mawmaw (grandmother) and how she went from blindness to sight. Lots of back story and family photos in the back. Excellent!
October 31, 2019
Some super excellent backmatter as well.
August 19, 2020
This is a beautiful story about modern choctaw Indians, their families and struggles. Loved it so much. Perfect for read-a-loud and my Oklahoma history curriculum!
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