1.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Isaacs, Anne, and Paul O. Zelinsky. Swamp Angel. New
York, NY: Puffin Books, 2000. ISBN: 0140559086.
2. PLOT SUMMARY
Born in the backwoods of Tennessee, Angelica
Longrider, was an ordinary baby, if a little big. She could barely climb a tree
and took two years before she built her first log cabin. But like all babies
do, Angelica grew up. And up, and up. By the time she was fully grown she would
have given Paul Bunyan a run for his money, but Angelica was too busy helping
people to hunt up Paul. She earned her nickname of Swamp Angel by rescuing a
wagon train stranded in Dejection Swamp. It wasn’t until she met Thundering
Tarnation, though, that Swamp Angel really earned her nickname. With a bear as
big as Babe, Bunyan’s ox, to contend with, Angelica spent some rough moments
rassling and tumbling before she conquered her foe. As a tall tale, Swamp Angel
is a fresh breath amidst the old favorites.
3.
CRITICAL
ANALYSIS
Isaacs' Swamp Angel is written with a
distinctive southern twang. Words and phrases like tarnation, mighty scarce,
much obliged, varmit, and confound it make it possible for the reader to
imagine him- or herself in a log cabin nestled among the trees of the Great Smoky Mountains.
Yet there is also sophisticated vocabulary that will challenge young readers as well. Words like pelt and commenced may need some
explanation so that younger readers can fully grasp the story. Overall, the story is
well-written and fast-paced. It is easy to become a part of the tall tale as
you read it.
The
illustrations in Swamp Angel are also
well done. Zelinsky frames each illustration against a backdrop of polished
wood, which fits the story perfectly. His frames are outlined with a bold,
thick line making them feel almost like snapshots of the action. Occasionally
the frame of the picture is broken by action outside of the main scene, which
makes the illustrations that much more captivating. For example, in one illustration, the bear is climbing over the boundary of the illustration into the action. Zelinsky has captured the
essence of the story exceptionally well.
4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Caldecott Honor
Book
Starred
Review, BOOKLIST: “Isaacs tells her original story with the glorious
exaggeration and uproarious farce of the traditional tall tale and with its
typical laconic idiom. You just can't help reading it aloud. . . Zelinsky's
detailed oil paintings in folk-art style are exquisite, framed in cherry,
maple, and birch wood grains. They are also hilarious, making brilliant use of
perspective to extend the mischief and the droll understatement.”
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.”
SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL: “A master of composition, [Zelinsky]
varies readers' perspectives by framing the portrait of the newborn and, later,
the series of male hunters with small ovals. He uses double-page lunettes to
depict the massive bear and woman sprawled across the pages, and places the
menacing beast lunging over the frame in another memorable scene. The pictures
and words cavort across the page in perfect synchronization, revealing the
heroine's feisty solution. Buy for a great guffaw in small groups or
one-on-one. It's an American classic in the making.”
5. CONNECTIONS
*Swamp Angel would make a great
introduction to tall tales! It would segue well into some of the old favorites
as well as newer ones as well.
*Other tall
tales:
Aliki. THE STORY
OF JOHNNY APPLESEED. ISBN: 0671667467.
Kellogg, Steven.
PECOS BILL. ISBN 0688099246.
Lester, Julius. JOHN
HENRY. ISBN: 0140566228.
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