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HALL OF FAME # 6-- WHEN TURTLE GREW FEATHERS, by Tim Tingle, Review by Alexis, 18

After writing the last blog, Michael is reflecting, healing and taking a step back. He asked me to do the next Hall of Fame pick. As we've stated before, individual reviews are the opinion of one reviewer, but we unanimously vote for HOF titles.

Eduardo, almost 19!, is taking forever finishing his review of WHEN A GHOST TALKS, LISTEN: A CHOCTAW TRAIL OF TEARS STORY. I know how hard it is when you want to get a review just right and are also worrying about how it will be received.

To Eduardo, Tim Tingle is the GOAT, plain and simple. And, come on, we all love and respect him and his work. We almost feel we know him. The storyteller who gathers the kids round when the parents are trying to shoo them off to bed. And he always captures their imaginations and sets their dreams spinning. He also has a spark of genius.

WHEN TURTLES GREW FEATHERS: A FOLKTALE FROM THE CHOCTAW NATION is sitting in the woven basket next to my bed where I keep all my library books. My mom read it to me, I've read it before, but I picked it up while I was shelving and brought it home. Why? Because it makes me smile and feel proud.



If you read Debbie Reese and other Native scholars and librarians, you will rejoice that the subtitle says boldly THE CHOCTAW NATION. I hope that makes every adult reader who picks up this book understand that we are nations within in U.S., and there is no single/central Native American belief, artistic style or ceremony. This is a Choctaw traditional story.

Let's open the book and see how it begins:
Most everybody knows about the race between Turtle and Rabbit. But the Choctaw people tell the story differently. They say that the reason that Rabbit couldn't outrun Turtle was because he wasn't racing a turtle at all. He only thought he was. It all took place on the day when Turtle grew feathers.
I don't want to spoil the whole story, but I don't think it's possible to ruin it. Turkey puts on Turtle's shell after he accidentally cracks it like glass and mends it with the help of ants with corn silk thread. Turkey accepts the race challenge from Rabbit, who looks very big and acts like a bully. It's hilarious when Turkey pushes his neck, long skinny legs and finally tail out of the shell. Look at Rabbit's face then! Turkey takes off and circles the lake while Rabbit is choking on the dust up.


I've always liked that Turtle and Turkey could have been angry and fought each other but they decided to become friends and trick bully Rabbit together.

The books ends:
Rabbit never challenged Turtle again. That's why you never see them racing today. 

Mr. Tingle's kids and grand-kids are so lucky to have him to tell such stories! I'm sure he does awesome voices to match his great words. My mom's voices were pretty good. And now I am practicing so I can tell the book to the young ones. It's a treasure for generations to share. And the pictures by Stacey Shuett are a good match, so you'll have to position yourself so everyone can see them.

I said this book makes me smile and it's hilarious. But this animal tale is also a story about Choctaw citizens treating each other fairly and never acting bigger than somebody else.

That doesn't mean this tale has a "moral." It's not a "parable." Those are words from other religions and belief systems. This book is teaching children the way our elders and traditional stories do--with respect, humor and love.

I try never to read Debbie Reese's reviews (again) while I am writing a review. Otherwise I would just link to her review! But I did peek, and look what I found! A library in Texas has a mural of a little girl reading this book!!!! Here is a link to that story.

And here is a boss photo of Mr. Tingle posing with the mural. Shonabish, Tim Tingle! Our lives and kidlit would not be the same without you. It's about time you appeared on Indigo's Bookshelf. This won't be the last time!






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Welcome to Indigo's Bookshelf!

We are a group of Florida Natives--Miccosukee, Seminole, Black, Latinix, queer and disabled--from the ages 12-20, who are passionate about kidlit and yalit. We believe in the power of books to reflect, entertain and enrich our lives from the time we are young ones. We enjoy books in digital and bound copies, with texts and/or graphics. We have experienced the bitter disappointment and danger of widespread Native misrepresentation, theft, cruelty and lies in books for all young readers. This blog is dedicated to reviewing Native #ownvoices. To us, that means books written from an inside perspective by Native authors, with proper research, respect and authorization, first and foremost for young Native readers, but also to educate other young readers and their families. We join our elders in calling to replace harmful, stereotypical texts in libraries, schools and homes. This blog is named after our friend Indigo, a Q2S sixteen-year-old who took her own life in 2018  Her beauty