The Great Ball Game: A Muskogee Story

Bibliography
Burchac, Joseph. 1994. The Great Ball Game: A Muskogee Story. Ill. by Susan L. Roth. New York, NY: Dial Books for Young Readers ISBN 0-8037-1539-0


Plot Summary
The Great Ball Game is a story from the Muskogee Indian Nation that was told to Joseph Burchac by Louis Littlecoon Oliver who was an Oklahoma Muskogee elder. In Burchac's retelling of the story, the Birds and the Animals have an argument about who was better, those with wings or those with teeth. They decide to settle the debate by having a ball game, Animals vs. Birds. There is one creature left over that falls into both categories, Bat who has both wings and teeth. The Birds laugh at Bat so he joins the Animals team and helps them win because he is the only one of the Animals who could fly and see at night. Bat's victory results in him officially being an Animal and the Birds punishment is that they must leave for half of the year and that is why birds still fly South every winter. 


Critical Analysis
At the beginning of the book the author includes a page giving some history about ball games having been used for centuries to settle arguments, the Muskogee Indian Nation and where he first heard the story of the Birds and Animals. The inclusion of this is very helpful and informative for the storyteller or reader because it gives them insight into the culture and gives an elementary introduction into the idea of folktales and oral storytelling. 


The story is a beast tale in which the animals and birds speak, interact and play games with each other as humans would. There is a nod to the idea of "wise beast/foolish beast" in that the Birds laugh at the Bat who ends up being the VIP of the Animal team and winning the game. 


The illustrations by Susan L. Roth add a level of interest to the book and give it a traditional feel. They were done using paper from all over the world collaged together to create texture and color. 


Review Excerpts
"The moral aspect of this story as well as the excitement of the ball game will make children want to hear this story time and time again. The story will introduce young readers to the Muskogee Indian Nation’s use of ball games to settle arguments instead of going to war. The story may also be a useful introduction for children to similarities and differences – what do animals have in common with one another and what makes an animal special?"
-Hudson Area Library
Junior Library Guild selection, chosen as an outstanding book for boys and girls.

Connections

*Have children create their own collage illustrations out of construction paper.

*Introduce other versions of the story such as "Why the Birds Fly South in the Winter" by Basil Johnston and "The Animals' Ballgame" by Lloyd Arneach paired with science-based books on bird migration.