Swamp Angel
1995 Caldecott Honor Book
Written by: Anne Isaacs Illustrated by: Paul O. Zelinsky
Published by Puffin Books, 1994
Picture Book, Traditional Literature K-5
Summary: When Angelica Longrider was born, no one in Tenessee knew that she would grow up to be the “Swamp Angel.” By the time she was two years old, she could build her own log cabin. The title “swamp angel” came about when she rescued a wagon train, lifting the wagons and people out of the water like “they were twigs in a puddle.” When a competition arose to catch the mean-spirited bear, Thundering Taranation, Angel was the champion. The bear sure did put up a fight, but Angel fought right back. Not only did she throw him in the sky and lasso him down with a tornado, she drank up a whole lake when the bear pinned her on the bottom. They wrestled for five days when they fell asleep wrestling. Their snoring was so loud that they knocked down a whole forest. When the bear awoke and was eating honey, Angel’s snoring made a tree fall on bear and killed him. As a celebration, Angel served Tennessee bear meat cooked in all kinds of ways! She also dragged his pelt from Tennessee to Montana, which is now called Shortgrass Prairie.
Response: What a fun, imaginative book! Students will greatly enjoy laughing with this book and looking at the beautiful pictures. This tall tale is certainly an exaggerated account of the story of Swamp Angel. Isaacs used Swamp Angel to detail why the Great Smoky Mountains are given this title; because Angel and bear created so much dust while they were wrestling across the Tennessee hills. (Shortgrass prairie in Montana?) The fact that this story is about a woman adds balance to the realm of traditional literature because the hero is a woman. She overcomes the bear because she did not give up. She also used her power of being taller to help others.
The illustrations are amazing. They are painted in oils on cherry, maple, and birch veneers. This gives the illustrations a unique look and are very detailed! Students will enjoy taking in the many details of each page! There are so many different details to take in-different characters, backgrounds, animals, and activities. On one page, thundering Tarnation’s claws are clawing down from the top of the page. He also appears two other times in two different settings on these pages. In another double spread of pages, Angel is drawn doing about five different activities. For example, in one picture, she is building a log cabin, pouring water on a burning log cabin, knitting a quilt with mountain lions playing on the yarn, and Angel flying her dog with the geese on top of the mountain. However, if you were to just glance at this illustration, you would miss the eagle sitting in the tree, the beautiful colors and texture of the sky full of fluffy clouds. You will also miss the man playing his fiddle in the shadows and a squirrel dancing. On each page, there are so many details to take in! The illustrations will no doubt keep student’s attention as the text is being read aloud. The borders around the illustrations also enhance the pictures, for they are almost like a picture frame.
The illustrations also do a great job of conveying perspective. Students can see without a doubt how tall Angel is. The small people, houses, mountains, waterfalls, rivers, and animals convey her size because we know the true size of these landforms and people.
Teaching Ideas: Landforms of Tennessee can be introduced, such as the Great Smoky Mountains. This can be compared to the mountains and landforms of Montana, which is where Angel drug Bear’s pelt and created the “shortgrass prairie.” Tornadoes can also be talked about, for Angel uses a tornado to rope the bear.
The character of Angel can be analyzed by students, for she keeps on trying, keeps wrestling the bear, not giving up. She also uses her power of being tall to help others. Teacher can tell students that they have all been given special gifts that they can use to help others. For example, some may have a gift to be patient, encouraging, or caring. Some students may have the gift of leadership or even the ability to make other laugh. We all have special ways that we can help each other, in the way that Angel helped the people of Tennessee.
1995 Caldecott Honor Book
Written by: Anne Isaacs Illustrated by: Paul O. Zelinsky
Published by Puffin Books, 1994
Picture Book, Traditional Literature K-5
Summary: When Angelica Longrider was born, no one in Tenessee knew that she would grow up to be the “Swamp Angel.” By the time she was two years old, she could build her own log cabin. The title “swamp angel” came about when she rescued a wagon train, lifting the wagons and people out of the water like “they were twigs in a puddle.” When a competition arose to catch the mean-spirited bear, Thundering Taranation, Angel was the champion. The bear sure did put up a fight, but Angel fought right back. Not only did she throw him in the sky and lasso him down with a tornado, she drank up a whole lake when the bear pinned her on the bottom. They wrestled for five days when they fell asleep wrestling. Their snoring was so loud that they knocked down a whole forest. When the bear awoke and was eating honey, Angel’s snoring made a tree fall on bear and killed him. As a celebration, Angel served Tennessee bear meat cooked in all kinds of ways! She also dragged his pelt from Tennessee to Montana, which is now called Shortgrass Prairie.
Response: What a fun, imaginative book! Students will greatly enjoy laughing with this book and looking at the beautiful pictures. This tall tale is certainly an exaggerated account of the story of Swamp Angel. Isaacs used Swamp Angel to detail why the Great Smoky Mountains are given this title; because Angel and bear created so much dust while they were wrestling across the Tennessee hills. (Shortgrass prairie in Montana?) The fact that this story is about a woman adds balance to the realm of traditional literature because the hero is a woman. She overcomes the bear because she did not give up. She also used her power of being taller to help others.
The illustrations are amazing. They are painted in oils on cherry, maple, and birch veneers. This gives the illustrations a unique look and are very detailed! Students will enjoy taking in the many details of each page! There are so many different details to take in-different characters, backgrounds, animals, and activities. On one page, thundering Tarnation’s claws are clawing down from the top of the page. He also appears two other times in two different settings on these pages. In another double spread of pages, Angel is drawn doing about five different activities. For example, in one picture, she is building a log cabin, pouring water on a burning log cabin, knitting a quilt with mountain lions playing on the yarn, and Angel flying her dog with the geese on top of the mountain. However, if you were to just glance at this illustration, you would miss the eagle sitting in the tree, the beautiful colors and texture of the sky full of fluffy clouds. You will also miss the man playing his fiddle in the shadows and a squirrel dancing. On each page, there are so many details to take in! The illustrations will no doubt keep student’s attention as the text is being read aloud. The borders around the illustrations also enhance the pictures, for they are almost like a picture frame.
The illustrations also do a great job of conveying perspective. Students can see without a doubt how tall Angel is. The small people, houses, mountains, waterfalls, rivers, and animals convey her size because we know the true size of these landforms and people.
Teaching Ideas: Landforms of Tennessee can be introduced, such as the Great Smoky Mountains. This can be compared to the mountains and landforms of Montana, which is where Angel drug Bear’s pelt and created the “shortgrass prairie.” Tornadoes can also be talked about, for Angel uses a tornado to rope the bear.
The character of Angel can be analyzed by students, for she keeps on trying, keeps wrestling the bear, not giving up. She also uses her power of being tall to help others. Teacher can tell students that they have all been given special gifts that they can use to help others. For example, some may have a gift to be patient, encouraging, or caring. Some students may have the gift of leadership or even the ability to make other laugh. We all have special ways that we can help each other, in the way that Angel helped the people of Tennessee.
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