SWAMP ANGEL by Anne Isaacs

BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Isaacs, Anne. 1994. SWAMP ANGEL. Ill. by Paul O. Zelinsky. New York: Dutton Children's Boooks. ISBN 0525452710

PLOT SUMMARY:
SWAMP ANGEL is a tall tale about a Tennessee born girl baby who is giant sized. The tale follows her from the time of her birth through growing up and wrestling a bear named Thundering Tarnation. Swamp Angel does unbelievable tasks like building a log cabin when she was only 2 years old. Thundering Tarnation was causing problems all over Tennessee for the settlers. Swamp Angel decided to help the settlers hunt down the ferocious bear. All of the settlers who had hunted the bear had been wiped out. Swamp Angel was determined to bring him down. She wrestled him down and created the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee while persuing him. Eventually, she slayed him and brought back his enormous pelt which was too large to fit in Tennessee so she moved to Montana where the spread out pelt made what is now the Shortgrass Prairie. With the slaying of the bear, the settlers were able to feast on all kinds of bear delacasies, like bear cakes, steaks, muffins and wine.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS:
This tall tale is a bigger than life exageration written in true tall tale style much like those of Paul Bunyan and Pecos Bill. Part of the greatness of this tale is that it uses a woman as the central tall tale character. If you are looking for a heroine in a story, this would be an excellent choice. It introduces frontier life with humor that will keep children interested in the story until the very end. The illustrator, Paul O. Zelinsky, is highly acclaimed and shows his artistic talent through primitive style illlustrations painted on wood like pages. The use of wood like pages adds to the feeling of frontier life.

This would be a wonderful tale for ages 5-9. The larger than life adventure will keep children in amazement of the extraordinary challenges and feats that Swamp Angel tackles. It will amaze them and encourage their imaginations.

REVIEW EXCERPTS:
HORN BOOK, starred review: "Move over, Paul Bunyun, 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."
KIRKUS, starred review: "It is impossible to convey the sheer pleasure, the exaggerated loopiness of new comer 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."

CONNECTIONS:
Connect the story to American history and geopgraphy. Use maps toshow patterns of settlement in Tennessee. Discuss frontier life.
Compare and contrast with older elementary studetns by reading other tall tales, Paul Bunyun or Pecos Bill. Compare and Contrast characters.