Swamp Angel - Anne Issacs

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Isaacs, A., & Zelinsky, P. O. (1994). Swamp angel. New York: Dutton Children's Books.
ISBN 0525452710

PLOT SUMMARY

A girl affectionately nicknamed Swamp Angel enters a contest to get rid of the giant bear terrorizing a frontier community set in the hills of Tennessee. Showcasing some widely known landmarks, we see her wrestling match with Thundering Tarnation from the bottom of a very deep lake to the Great Smoky Mountains.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

These illustrations were first painted in oils on cherry, maple and birch veneers. This quality of work is astounding. I loved the woodwork quality to the pages. Having painted them first gives each page a picture on a picture feel, creating space for boarders. Sometimes the illustrator was able to play with the border, allowing it to interact with the inside image. This created a playful story that kept the readers engaged throughout. In some pictures, multiple views were being shown in a single image inviting the reader to delve into the story. At one point we see Swamp Angel spread across 2 pages in 5 different scenarios. This helps present the passage of time while letting the reader use their imagination to fill in the blanks as to what she was doing.

The style in this book allows the reader to be transported to Tennessee. We see very distinctive language as well as imagery to truly get a sense of the lifestyle in the 1900’s world view. Words such as “homespun” and “settlers” set the tone of a time long ago while “”tarnation” and “confound it, varmit” show the local dialect. The illustrations complement the feel of the old world using a portrait style to showcase the amazing artwork.

REVIEW EXCERPTS

“It is impossible to convey the sheer pleasure, the exaggerated loopiness, of newcomer Isaacs's wonderful story…. To say that you are entering Caldecott land doesn't begin to do this book justice.”  – Kirkus Review Oct. 1st, 1994

“Caldecott Medal-winning artist Paul O. Zelinsky's stunning folk-art paintings are the perfect match for the irony, exaggeration, and sheer good humor of this original tall tale set on the American frontier.” – Goodreads Review

CONNECTIONS 

*Great story to use to show hyperbole. 

*Can be used as a 3rd-grade genre study when teaching Tall Tales – students can get bored with the same Johnny Appleseed/Paul Bunyon stories.