Book Review: Swamp Angel

BOOK REVIEW: Swamp Angel

 

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Isaacs, Anne.  1994.  SWAMP ANGEL.  Ill. by Paul Zelinsky.  New York: E.P. Dutton Children’s Books. ISBN  0525452710

 

2.  PLOT SUMMARY

SWAMP ANGEL is about a character named Angelica Longrider. This story begins with her birth in 1815. She continues to grow and when she reaches womanhood a tale is told about how she slays a bear. She is a huge, rough and tumble, likable character. She goes around and around trying to outwit the bear, Tarnation, and eventually prevails.

 

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

This folk tale is a tall tale from the state of Tennessee. In the beginning of the book, where the main character is introduced, it is almost like a prologue and then the story starts within the first few pages with, “Once upon a time.” The dialect the author uses is characteristic of the time, the area and of a good tall tale. There are outrageous elements in this tall tale like the size of the character, Angelica Longrider. She is huge, which is reminiscent of the tall tale character Paul Bunyon. There are regional references like “across the hills of Tennessee.”  The story is of the caliber of a classic tall tale that every child should experience.

 

The story and illustrations are very cohesive. The illustrations are executed in a retro style. There are outrageous elements to the illustrations that exemplify the outrageous elements of the tall tale. Drama, description, and expression are expressed in this book through the illustrator.  

 

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

1995 Caldecott Honor Book

SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL review: “An American classic in the making.”

THE HORN BOOK: “Move over Paul Bunyon, you are about to meet Swamp Angel…visually exciting, wonderful to read aloud, this is a picture book to remember.”

 

5. CONNECTIONS

*This would be an excellent book study of tall tales.

*This would be an excellent book study for illustration.

*Other tall tales to read concurrently:

Pope Osborne, Mary. AMERICAN TALL TALES ISBN: 9780307982599

Nolen, Jerdine. BIG JABE ISBN: 0060540613

Meister, Cari. DAVEY CROCKET AND THE GREAT MISSISSIPPI SNAG ISBN: 1479554316

 

Based on a review by Barbara Jean Thompson