Swamp Angel by Anne Issacs

Swamp Angel
Anne Isaacs

Isaacs, Anne. Illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky. 1994. Swamp Angel. New York: Dutton Children’s Books.

Girl versus Bear, who would win? Swamp Angel would! The tall tale Swamp Angel tells the story of Angelica Longrider, a girl born in 1815 to a seemingly normal life, but as the story goes on the reader sees that she is anything but. With extra height, strength and brains, Angelica uses those traits to save pioneers stuck in mud and to bring down the supersized bear known as Thundering Tarnation. Using her superhuman traits she manages to kill the bear and save the townspeople’s winter food stores, thereby living up to the “angel” in Swamp Angel.

This traditional tale is chalk full of action, from the first page Swamp Angel is always doing something. Her journey to save the town from Thundering Tarnation is the main plot of the book, but her personal growth is also apparent in the text. Set in the distant past the story allows the reader to believe in Swamp Angel’s abilities without questions. The reader understands that she is very real in her setting, lending to the belief that she is real. Like a female Paul Bunyan, Swamp Angel exists in current folklore as a possible reality.

This story not only embraces good vs. evil, but also woman vs. beast. These are the two overarching themes that entertwine throughout the tale. The character is very moral, and ethical and while it is her goal to kill the bear, she is saved from that by a tree falling on him, therefore saving her from doing the dirty work herself.
The style of writing for this tall tale is full of similes, metaphors, and other linguistic tricks to make the reader laugh out land. For example, referring to the bear as a “four legged forest of stubble” and “lowdown pile of pelts” give the read images in their mind that make the bear that much more visible in the mind’s eye. Creative writing help to capture what makes this a tall tale.

The illustrations for this book focus on the fact that the characters are larger than life. Swamp Angel and Thundering Tarnation are always drawn large on the page and are always out of proportion compared to the townspeople. This helps the reader to understand just how big these characters are and how they should be perceived. Drawn sometimes comically, the illustrations also show how Swamp Angel is relaxed and completely in tune with her surroundings.

This review through amazon.com shows how the story is important to the age group it is designed for. "But the larger-than-life girl's reputation grows to truly gargantuan proportions when she bests an even larger bear, throwing him up in the sky, where "he crashed into a pile of stars, making a lasting impression. You can still see him there, any clear night." This valiant heroine is certain to leave youngsters chuckling-and perhaps even keeping a close watch on the night sky." Ages 5-9.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

One of the things I like best about this tall tale is that it explains how Ursa became a constellation. When Swamp Angel throws Thundering Tarnation into the sky and forms the constellation from that throw the story has the element of a pour quoi tale. This story is perfect for the strong female child who wants to prove that she can be one of the boys.