Isaacs, Anne. 1994. Swamp Angel. Ill. by Paul O. Zelinsky. New York: Dutton Children's Books. ISBN: 9780525452713
Plot Summary
Angelica Longrider was born on August 1, 1815 in Tennessee. When she was twelve years old, she earned the nickname Swamp Angel. The nickname came about when she appeared out of the mist to save a group of settlers stuck in Dejection Swamp.
This particular story revolves around Swamp Angel and her battle with Thundering Tarnation, a fearsome bear no one could capture. The townspeople were getting desperate for help. Thundering Tarnation kept stealing their food and winter was fast approaching. After several men attempt various strategies to catch the bear, it is Swamp Angels turn. The two fight for five days straight. They even fight in their sleep! Part of their fight is rumored to have created the Great Smoky Mountains!
The battle ends when the two are sleeping and Swamp Angel snores down the largest pine tree in Tennessee. The pine tree falls on Thundering Tarnation, killing and flattening him. After the town celebrates with food made from the bear, they still have leftovers to get them through the winter. And Swamp Angel decides to keep his pelt as a rug and lays it out in Montana. People today call Thundering Tarnations pelt Shortgrass Prairie.
Plot Summary
Angelica Longrider was born on August 1, 1815 in Tennessee. When she was twelve years old, she earned the nickname Swamp Angel. The nickname came about when she appeared out of the mist to save a group of settlers stuck in Dejection Swamp.
This particular story revolves around Swamp Angel and her battle with Thundering Tarnation, a fearsome bear no one could capture. The townspeople were getting desperate for help. Thundering Tarnation kept stealing their food and winter was fast approaching. After several men attempt various strategies to catch the bear, it is Swamp Angels turn. The two fight for five days straight. They even fight in their sleep! Part of their fight is rumored to have created the Great Smoky Mountains!
The battle ends when the two are sleeping and Swamp Angel snores down the largest pine tree in Tennessee. The pine tree falls on Thundering Tarnation, killing and flattening him. After the town celebrates with food made from the bear, they still have leftovers to get them through the winter. And Swamp Angel decides to keep his pelt as a rug and lays it out in Montana. People today call Thundering Tarnations pelt Shortgrass Prairie.
Critical Analysis
This book is a tall tale that explains the creation of some of America’s midwestern landscapes. Angelica Longrider, or Swamp Angel, is drawn to reflect the tall tale she represents. The first page shows her as a baby held by her mother. Angelica Longrider’s head is rather large, and it looks as though her mother can barely hold her upright. The following pages depict Swamp Angel as well above scale from the men and creatures in the town. It is also no accident that Swamp Angel is drawn with fiery red hair.
The beautiful illustrations by Paul O. Zelinsky were painted in oils on cherry, maple, and birch veneers. This medium pairs well with the setting of the book, and it gives the story a nice earthy type feel. The illustrator uses the wood background to enhance the pictures inside the shape of an oval or rectangle. There is also a fine attention to detail within the pages. One of the final pages shows the progression of a bear claw turning into a boat. The people are so tiny the reader could almost miss the fact that they are Native Americans.
This is an exciting book for readers of all ages. Emergent readers will enjoy the wacky fight Thundering Tarnation and Swamp Angel. Older readers may become interested in other tall tales such as Paul Bunyan and Pecos Bill. Everyone will enjoy the breathtaking illustrations of American frontier life.
Review Excerpt(s)
Caldecott Honor Book - 1995
PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY: “Zelinsky's (Rumpelstiltskin) stunning American-primitive oil paintings, set against an unusual background of cherry, maple, and birch veneers, frankly steal the show here. Their success, however, does not diminish the accomplishment of Isaacs, whose feisty tall tale marks an impressive picture-book debut.”
KIRKUS REVIEWS: “It is impossible to convey the sheer pleasure, the exaggerated loopiness, of newcomer Isaacs's wonderful story. Matching the superb text stride for stride are Zelinsky's (The Wheels on the Bus, 1990) altered-state, American primitive paintings--gems that provide new pleasures, reading after reading.”
THE HORN BOOK: “Move over Paul Bunyan, you are about to meet Swamp Angel. . . . Visually exciting, wonderful to read aloud, this is a picture book to remember".
Connections
This book is rich in figurative language. “She roped that bristled bandit and brought him crashing back to earth” is a great example of alliteration. “...performing eye-popping wonders…” for the idiom. “...stories about Swamp Angel spring up like sunflowers along wagon trails.” “...his fur so thick the gunshot never reached his skin.” There can be many activities connected to figurative language with this book.
There is a lot of high-end vocabulary in this book. A vocabulary lesson prior to reading this book would be beneficial, especially for ELL students. EX: “mired” “homespun” “tramped” “pelts” “wily” Students could match images to the vocabulary term. They could write their own tall tale with some of the same vocabulary terms.
This book could also serve as an introduction to the American frontier or the geography of the Midwest. Students could investigate the real origins of Shortgrass Prairie and the Great Smoky Mountains.
Some math problems could be incorporated with distance. A question about the length of the Rocky Mountains, or the distance from Tennessee to Montana.
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