K-Gr 5 Tingle tells his family's story from their origins in Oklahoma Choctaw country to their life in Texas. The account spans generations and weaves in ghosts from the past to the present day. When his grandmother and grandfather, then a young couple, arrived in Pasadena, someone threw a stone at Mawmaw, and it wasn't until the author was six that he learned that his grandmother was blind. Tingle was a junior in college when he got word that Mawmaw was having surgery. As the family gathered at the hospital, they told stories about their past, and he heard about her days as an orphan at an Indian boarding school and the discrimination she encountered living in Texas. Then they got the word they'd been waiting for: the surgery was a success, and Mawmaw could see. The large, full-spread illustrations are vibrant and vital in moving the story along. A lovely piece of family history."Sharon Morrison, Southeastern Oklahoma State University, Durant, OK" Copyright 2010 Media Source Inc.
The title refers to Tingle's family's "way of dealing with trouble...you just kinda shrug it off, say saltypie. It helps you carry on." The very loosely structured story focuses vaguely on Tingle's Choctaw grandmother, blinded by an act of violence and later granted an "eye transplant." Stiff and sentimental paintings illustrate the lengthy text; the appended afterword (in tiny type) is more compelling.
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