1. Bibliography
Isaacs, Anne. Swamp Angel. Ill. by Paul O. Zelinsky. New York: Dutton Children's Books. ISBN 0525452710
2. Plot Summary
Angelica Longrider, a girl of gigantic proportions, becomes known as Swamp Angel for her heroic abilities of rescuing a wagon train full of settlers from a swamp. When a bear, Thundering Tarnation, is threatening her settlement, she enters a competition to catch the bear. After days and days of struggle with the bear and hyperbolic feats, Swamp Angel kills the bear and becomes the heroine of her community.
3. Critical Analysis
This book lives up to the hype of its many reviews. The archetypal good and bad characters personified in Swamp Angel and Thudering Tarnation provide comical enjoyment through their over-the-top antics as they fight each other. For instance, when Tarnation pins Swamp Angel to the bottom of a lake, she must drink the whole lake dry in order to catch a breath. She replies sarcastically to this: "That was mighty refreshing." Swamp Angel is a strong female heroine who defies the men's taunts as they tell her she should be mending a quilt or baking a pie rather than battling a bear. The plot is full of action, and the author brings the story to a successful resolution as the settlers delight in Swamp Angels triumph over Tarnation. However, the reader will feel a connection to Tarnation, for he is not a violent, hateful villain, so to ease readers' feelings about his demise, the author allows Tarnation to live on forever as an impression in the stars. The theme is simple: good triumphs over evil, but the theme is not the focus of the story. Readers will love this book for its traditional tall-tale style and depiction of the Tennesse settlers' culture.
The illustrations are beautifully painted in oils on cherry, maple, and birch veneers and reflect the settlers' culture in their dress, log cabins, and covered wagons. Zelinsky's portrayal of Swamp Angel with a smirk on her face compliments her humorous actions and dialogue. Likewise, when the men fumble in their attempts to catch Thundering Tarnation, Zelinsky's illustrations of the failures of the men brings humor to the story and sharply contrasts the competence depicted in the illustrations of Swamp Angel. The colors are soothing, muted hues, and the soft, calming blue of Swamp Angel's dress contrasts the dark, brownish-black fur of Tarnation.
4. Review Excerpts
A Caldecott Honor Book (1994)
An ALA Notable Book (1994)
A Time magazine Best Book of the Year (1994)
A New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book of the Year (1994)
Winner of the Boston Globe/Horn Book Award (1995)
A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year (1994)
Starred review from 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.
Starred review from 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 from 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. To say that you are entering Calcutta land doesn't begin to do this book justice.
5. Connections
*Readers who love tall tales will enjoy this book. Consider pairing this tale with long-time favorites such as Paul Bunyan and other American tall tales:
Lester, Julius. John Henry. Ill. by Jerry Pinkney. ISBN 0140566228
Kellogg, Stephen. Paul Bunyan 20th Anniversary Edition. Ill. by Stephen Kellogg. ISBN 0688058000
*Conduct a study of illustrator Paul Zelinsky. See his work in the following award-winning books:
Zelinsky, Paul. Rumpelstiltskin. ISBN 0140558640
Zelinsky, Paul. Rapunzel. ISBN 0142301930
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