Swamp Angel

Bibliography

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

Plot Summary

In the beginning of this original tall tale, we are introduced to Angelica Longrider, an infant who would later grow up to become "the greatest woodswoman in Tennessee."  Unlike other young children her age, Angelica possessed extraordinary abilities, including building log cabins and extinguishing fires.  At the age of twelve, Angelica appeared suddenly through the mist in the middle of a swamp to lift several covered wagons out of the mud.  The pioneers were stunned by the vision in front of them, and could scarcely believe their eyes.  Convinced that she must have been an angel sent to save them, Angelica was nicknamed Swamp Angel from that moment on by the pioneers along the wagon trails.  Swamp Angel is not the only larger than life character in this tall tale, for she shares the spotlight with a massive black bear known as Thundering Tarnation.  This enormous beast of an animal contains an insatiable craving for the Tennessee settlers' food, and no matter how hard they try, none of the frontiersmen are able to catch him.  Soon a competition arises to discover who can be the first to successfully kill Thundering Tarnation so that the wilderness can once again be left in peace.  Many men tried to conquer Tarnation, but the bear's substantial presence was far too powerful to overcome.  When Swamp Angel finally comes face to face with Tarnation, the ensuing struggle lasts three days and three nights.  The incidents between these two characters are increasingly astonishing as they each come up with creative ways to prevent the other from getting the upper hand.  After growing so tired from all the fighting, Swamp Angel and Tarnation fall asleep.  Even in her sleep, Swamp Angel manages to save the day by shaking a tree loose with her snores, which lands on top of the huge creature and kills him in his sleep.  In the end, the entire state of Tennessee celebrates Swamp Angel's mighty victory by feasting on the animal that had taken so much away from them.

Critical Analysis

Swamp Angel is an impressive heroine in this extraordinary tale.  Written by Anne Isaacs in the predictable exaggerated style found within all tall tale narratives, the story of Swamp Angel's triumph over a fearsome bear known as Thundering Tarnation is one that children everywhere will want to listen to over and over again.  The quaint language of the narrative offers the reader a glimpse into the cultural aspects of life as a settler in the early American frontier, and the rich vocabulary creates an exciting story for young readers that sounds even more wonderful when read aloud.  The characters are far from complicated, symbolizing good (Swamp Angel) versus evil (Thundering Tarnation).  The struggle between good and evil is unmistakable in this tall tale, and readers will feel satisfied when they find that good has once again triumphed over evil in the end.  Award-winning illustrator Paul O. Zelinsky brings these amazing characters to life through his attention to detail and the authentic scenery he creates for the vast Tennessee wilderness.  From the meticulous detail in each character's facial expressions to the simple touch of framing each illustration in wood, Zelinsky creates a picturesque setting for this larger than life tale.

Awards

• 1995 Caldecott Honor Book
• 1995 Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book
• 1994 ALA Notable Book
• New York Public Library, 100 Books Every Child Should Read
• School Library Journal Best Books of 1994
• New York Times Best Illustrated Books of 1994
• Booklist Children's Editors Choices 1994
• Publisher's Weekly Best Books of 1994
• Time Magazine's 8 Best Children's Books, 1994
• Parenting Magazine Reading-Magic Award, 10 Best Books of 1994

Review Excerpts

“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.” – Horn Book (starred review)

“It is impossible to convey the sheer pleasure, the exaggerated loopiness, of newcomer Isaac'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.” – Kirkus (starred review)

Connections

Incorporate Swamp Angel into a Tall Tale unit of study, in which students compare and contrast the similarities and differences they discover among a variety of tall tales.  Since this particular tall tale portrays a female character with extraordinary abilities, the teacher may choose to study other stories that contain larger than life women, including the following titles:

• Paul Bunyan's Sweetheart by Marybeth Lorbiecki
• Paula Bunyan by Phyllis Root
• Her Stories by Virginia Hamilton
• Dona Flor: A Tall Tale about a Giant Woman with a Great Big Heart by Pat Mora

Throughout this tale, the origin of many of the natural phenomenon found within the United States are described.  Swamp Angel and Thundering Tarnation stir up so much dust while wrestling across the hills of Tennessee that those hills are still called the Great Smoky Mountains to this day.  After moving Thundering Tarnation's pelt to Montana and spreading the bear rug on the ground in front of her cabin, Swamp Angel created the Shortgrass Prairie.  She was also responsible for creating a constellation of stars in the exact spot where Tarnation crashed into a pile of stars after Swamp Angel threw him up in the sky.  Using these examples from the story, have children create their own tall tale to explain how a natural landform found within the United States came to be.