Swamp Angel

1.    BIBLIOGRAPHY:  Isaacs, Anne. 1994.  SWAMP ANGEL. Zelinsky, Paul O.  New York, NY: Dutton Children’s Books. ISBN 0525452710.

2. PLOT SUMMARY
Angelica Rongrider was born in Tennessee as a ‘normal’ baby who could not climb a tree without help, played with an ax in her crib, and built a cabin by the age of two.  After rescuing pioneers stuck in a swamp, she got her nickname as Swamp Angel.  In her town, there was a bear that was stealing all of the settlers’ food.  Its name was Thundering Tarnation.  The state had a sign-up sheet to hunt and kill the bear.  Many men and Swamp Angel signed up.  The men were rude and teased her telling her to go home and do ‘women’s work’.  She just keeps a positive attitude and tells them that those jobs are for men.  The men keep losing to Thundering Tarnation, and it is finally Swamp Angel’s turn to hunt.  She ends up in a stare-down match with the bear and then she throws him into the sky.  She lassos him back down with a tornado and wrestles him, which results in the creation of the Great Smoky Mountains.  When Thundering Tarnation pins her to the bottom of a lake, she drinks the lake dry.  She outwits him and makes him let go of her by making him sneeze.  They continue this epic struggle for many days.  Thundering Tarnation finally gives in to his desire for food, eats some honey, and dies from a tree falling due to Swamp Angel’s snoring.   She then shares her food with all of Tennessee and carries his pelt to Montana to make the Shortgrass Prairie.  Thundering Tarnation is still visible in the stars where Swamp Angel threw him.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Anne Isaacs creates a splendid tall tale with a strong heroine.  The way she starts describing, as normal, the miraculous feats of Swamp Angel in the beginning of the book makes you instantly feel like the amazing things that occur later are not exaggerations.  It is an amazing trick, especially since tall tales by nature are exaggerations.  She also used the classic “Once upon a time” in the middle of the story.  This made you feel like you already knew her before the story even began.  It was a splendid set-up!  The witty responses to the men picking on her makes her even more endearing, such as her response to needing to bake a pie being turned into making a “bear pie” (Isaacs) lets her take the high road, yet not be a push-over. 

The illustrations by Zelinsky do an amazing job of supporting the story.  The wood used as the backdrop makes it feel homey and as if it were passed down from generation to generation, which is the perfect fit for a tall tale.  The renditions of realistic-looking people, except for their playful and exaggerated facial expressions, really add to the concept of the tall tale.  The facial expressions are hilarious!   

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
1995 Caldecott Honor Book

1995 Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book

1994 ALA Notable Book

New York Public Library, 100 Books Every Child Should Read

New York Times Best Illustrated Books of 1994

School Library Journal Best Books of 1994

Booklist Children's Editors Choices 1994

Publisher's Weekly Best Books of 1994

Time Magazine's 8 Best Children's Books, 1994

Parenting Magazine Reading-Magic Award, 10 Best Books of 1994

1995 Notable Trade Book in Language Arts, National Council of Teachers of English

Book of the Month Club featured selection

Japanese and Korean editions

Featured on Storytime, PBS

Starred review in HORN BOOK: "Move over, Paul Bunyan, you are about to meet Swamp Angel, an original creation in the tall-tale tradition whose exploits are guaranteed to amaze and amuse a wide swath of readers. . . Visually exciting, wonderful to read aloud, this is a picture book to remember." Starred review in KIRKUS: "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 altered-state, American primitive paintings--gems that provide new pleasures, reading after reading."
5. CONNECTIONS
*It would be great to use in conjunction with a lesson discussing powerful women.

Other books about powerful women: 

Bober, Natalie.  ABIGAIL ADAMS: WITNESS TO A REVOLUTION.  ISBN 0689819161.

Stanley, Jerry.  BIG ANNIE OF CALUMET.  ISBN 0517700972.

*It would be great to use in conjunction with other tall tales to compare and contrast.

Other books that are tall tales:

Kellogg, Steven.  PECOS BILL.  ISBN 0688099244.

Kellogg, Steven.  PAUL BUNYAN.  ISBN 0688058000.

Kellogg, Steven.  JOHNNY APPLESEED.  ISBN 0688064175.