Swamp Angel by Anne Isaacs

1. Bibliography:

Isaacs, Anne. 2004. Swamp Angel. New York, NY: Puffin Books. ISBN 0140559086

2. Plot Summary:

From birth, Angelica Longrider was a giant who used her strength to help her community. At age twelve she saved many settlers from Dejection Swamp and earned the nickname Swamp Angel. The heroine decides to join the ranks of men who are trying to kill Thundering Tarnation, a enormous bear who has been terrorizing the Tennessee settlers. While others fail in their attempts to capture the bear, Swamp Angel encounters him while dozing and engages in days of battle with Tarnation before they both fall asleep. Swamp Angel’s snoring causes the last tree in the forest to fall, landing right on top of Thundering Tarnation, killing him. The Tennessee settlers celebrate with a feast of bear steaks and bear cakes and store the leftovers just before snowfall. Thundering Tarnation’s pelt was too large for Tennessee so Angelica moved to Montana, laying the pelt in front of her cabin. Nowadays, “folks call it the Shortgrass Prairie.”

3. Critical Analysis:

Author Anne Isaacs tells an original story of a Tennessee girl whose large size comes in handy for the backwoods Tennessee settlers. The characters are not overly complicated, with each main character depicting good (Swamp Angel) or evil (Thundering Tarnation). The battle between good and evil is eminent, and as in many tall tales, good triumphs evil in the end. The resolution, like the conflict, is larger than life and everyone is overjoyed. Rich vocabulary gives the reader a sense of the distant past and creates an exciting story for young readers.

While mentions of the bogs and wilderness are provided in the text, it is the beautiful illustrations by Paul O. Zelinsky that bring the Tennessee setting to life. Through the illustrations, the audience is able to gain insight into the cultural aspects of life as a settler in the 1800s.

4. Awards and/or Review Excerpts:

· Recipient of the 1994 Caldecott Honor

· From SLJ: “Thus begins Isaacs's original tall tale, and she captures the cadence of the genre perfectly with its unique blend of understatement, exaggeration, and alliteration.”

· 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.”

5. Connections:

· Use as part of a Tall Tale unit with other stories such as Julius Lester’s John Henry, Thunder Rose by Jerdine Nolen or any of Steven Kellogg’s tall tales.

· Have students write other Swamp Angel stories that explain why something happened in the United States, like the creation Tornado Alley.

6. Personal Response:

I did not enjoy this story. I found it to be very long and it did not hold my attention. I actually read it in two different sittings because I was not engaged. Although, the illustrations are pretty, I didn’t find them overwhelmingly beautiful or worthy of a Caldecott honor (however, I am not a professional book critic!)

Tall tales in general are not very interesting to me, so this may have contributed to my lack of interest. Hopefully my critical analysis seems impartial as I tried very hard to keep an open mind when reviewing for the necessary elements.

How Chipmunk Got His Stripes by Joseph Bruchac and James Bruchac

1. Bibliography:

Bruchac, Joseph and James Bruchac. 2001. How Chipmunk Got His Stripes. New York, NY: Puffin Books. ISBN 0142500216

2. Plot Summary:

Bear believes he is the best at everything, claiming “I can do anything. Yes I can!” When little Brown Squirrel asks Bear to prove it by keeping the sun from rising the next day, Bear and Brown Squirrel both stay up through the night. As Bear chants that the sun will not come up and Brown Squirrel counters with “the sun is going to rise”, the other forest animals gather to see who is right. When the sun does indeed rise, Brown Squirrel forgets his grandmother’s warning never to brag and upsets Bear. WHOMP! Bear traps Brown Squirrel under his paw, threatening to eat him for calling him names. Squirrel plans an escape and succeeds, but not before Bear scratches him from head to toe, leaving stripes down Brown Squirrel’s back. With his permanent stripes, Brown Squirrel becomes Chipmunk, the striped one.

3. Critical Analysis:

Joseph Bruchac and James Bruchac tell their version of this tale, combining versions heard from many Native American storytellers. The characters are representative of children, still learning that bragging and teasing are not acceptable social interactions. The simple storyline helps readers of all ages understand the feelings of both Bear and Brown Squirrel. The strong moral lesson learned by the squirrel is apparent to even the youngest of audiences.

The tone of the story mimics an oral storytelling, giving the reader background information that the characters do not have, such as “It was the time when the sun always goes down.”

The setting is implied with references to autumn, but receives help from the illustrations of Jose Aruego and Ariane Dewey. The expressions of each character lend human qualities to each animal. Overall, the illustrations tell a story all their own.

4. Awards and/or Review Excerpts:

· From Publisher’s Weekly: “the dialogue is effective and invites audience participation--especially the repeated phrases with sound effects, as when the quarrelsome pair sit side by side all night chanting: "The sun will not come up, hummph!" and "The sun is going to rise, oooh!"”

· From SLJ: “In their introductory authors' notes, the Bruchacs indicate that the story is an amalgam of tales they have heard from Cherokee, Abenaki, and Mohawk sources, and has further been fleshed out through their own telling over the years. The result is polished, cohesive, and energetic”

5. Connections:

· Have students share times when they have bragged or someone has bragged to them. Discuss how this made them feel in both scenarios.

· With older grades, a discussion of the characters would be appropriate. Was there really a good character and a bad character?

· Connect to other stories of bragging or teasing. The book Cookies: Bite-Size Life Lessons by Amy Krouse Rosenthal or any others in that series are wonderful for teaching children about respect and kindness.

6. Personal Response:

· I really enjoyed this story. I read it aloud to my daughter and used a BIG booming voice for Bear and a small, squeaking voice for Brown Squirrel. She found that hilarious. I think I tend to enjoy the books more when the audience I am reading to enjoys it as well. The lesson was obvious and the story was short enough for the point to come across without getting lost in the text.

Three Little Cajun Pigs by Mike Artell

1. Bibliography:
Artell, Mike. 2006. Three Little Cajun Pigs. New York, NY: Dial Books for Young Readers. ISBN 0803728158
2. Plot Summary:
Trouble abounds when Trosclair, Thibodeaux and Ulysse, three Cajun brothers from south Loo-siana, are kicked out of their mother’s house and forced to provide for themselves. After “dey walk for a while”, each brother finds building materials and decides to stay behind and build a house. The first brother builds a house from straw, the second from sticks, and the third from bricks, mimicking the traditional tale. Just as the last brother finishes his brick home Ol’ Claude the gator comes up from the bayou, hungry for some couchon de lait. One by one, the gator demolishes houses with the flip of his tail until all the brothers seek refuge in Ulysse’s brick house. After his attempts to knock down the brick house fail, Ol’ Claude climbs down the chimney, unaware that the oldest pig has a roux simmering. Before too much harm comes to the gator, the pigs pull him out of harm’s way and he heads home with a crispy back end. The tale ends with Ol’ Claude nursing his derriere in a bucket of ice and each brother building a new house from bricks.
3. Critical Analysis:
The Three Little Cajun Pigs has brought to life the Cajun culture through Mike Artell’s text and vocabulary. While the vocabulary rings true to the Cajun dialect, illustrator Jim Harris also offers cultural aspects with musical instruments representative of Zydeco, a popular form of native Louisianan music. Overall, the rhythmic tone to the story provides an engaging experience to the reader. The audience is also able to appreciate authentic Cajun vocabulary thanks to Artwell’s glossary of terms which precedes the story.
This variant of the traditional tale stays true to the original plot but incorporates unique twists, helping to define the Louisiana bayou setting. The plot moves along quickly and keeps the reader entertained through the aid of the illustrations. The very simple characters are charming and very likeable, even the antagonist Ol’ Claude. Sticking with the tradition of good triumphing over evil, the pigs learn their lesson and in the end save the gator from a painful incident, providing a much less violent resolution than other versions of the story.
Harris adds even more fun to the book as the audience looks for small details, such as the Mona Lisa pig painting and flying hair dryers. At times, the illustrations offer hilarious insight into the characters, like when Mama kicks the boys out holding a “room for rent” sign. Harris’s mouse character is a fun addition for readers to follow as the story progresses. As a whole, the illustrations lend a special, humorous quality to the story.

4. Awards and/or Reviews Excerpts:

• From SLJ: “Although Cajun variations on folktales are becoming plentiful, this one should not be missed.”
• From Kirkus Reviews: “This retelling of the traditional story is Cajun both in language and lesson. Emphasizing devotion to family and extending others the benefit of the doubt, it also conveys the very Cajun notion that there are few situations that cannot be improved with a big pot of gumbo among friends.”

5. Connections:

• Pair with other versions of the Three Little Pigs, such as The Three Little Javelinas by Susan Lowell or The Three Little Gators by Helen Ketteman for comparing story elements.
• Read Artell’s Petite Rouge, a variant of Red Riding Hood, for a closer look at Artell represents the Cajun culture and to compare the character of Ol’ Claude in both stories.
• Read other Cajun based tales, such as Feliciana Feydra LeRoux: A Cajun Tall Tale by Tynia Thomassie or There Was an Ol’ Cajun by Deborah Kadair to explore the culture of Cajun Louisiana.

6. Personal Response:

I found the dialect to be frustrating to read in my head, and ended up reading the story aloud to an empty room. Once I picked up on the rhythm of the text, I found the story much more enjoyable. Repetitive practice of the words and rhythm would lead to a very engaging storytelling experience.
The use of the Cajun vocabulary creates a fun twist on a traditional tale and paired with variants or versions of other Cajun tales, I think students in the primary grades would gain wonderful insight into the culture of the Louisiana bayou region.

Chubbo's Pool by Betsy Lewin

1. Bibliography:

Lewin, Betsy. Chubbo’s Pool. New York, NY. Clarion Book, 1996. ISBN 039592863X

2. Plot Summary

Chubbo is a grumpy hippo who stumbles upon a pool and claims it for himself, scaring away all visitors who come to use the watering hole. When Chubbo’s pool dries up and he goes in search of a new place to cool down, he discovers that all the animals he turned away are sharing a watering hole together. Chubbo trudges back to his mud wallow only to find that the other animals come after him, water in tow, to refill his pool. The hippo discovers that the cool water is more welcoming when shared with other animals.

3. Critical Analysis

Chubbo’s Pool has such a striking moral lesson to it without the lesson being the main focus of the story. The character of Chubbo seems like many stubborn, young children who face the social issue of learning to share. The hippo’s attitude is very realistic and readers from any cultural background can appreciate lesson Chubbo learns at the story’s end.

Betsy Lewin’s watercolor artwork in Chubbo’s Pool is able to stand alone. The flowing colors are able to magically illustrate the character’s emotions as well as create a realistic vision of the Botswana delta and it’s native animals. The purposeful splashing and mixing of the watercolor paints is extremely pleasing to look at and easily captivates the reader.

4. Awards and Review Excerpts

· From Booklist: “Inspired by the author's experience in Botswana, this is a delightful tale that humorously conveys the value of sharing and the joys of friendship.”

· From Library School Journal: “The text is simple but rhythmic and rich with expressive adjectives, excellent for reading aloud.”

5. Connections

· Pair with other titles about sharing and/or selfishness. Example titles are It’s Mine by Leo Lionni or Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister.

· After the story discuss reasons why it is polite to share. Have students share items they have shared with a friend or classmate and how it made each of them feel.

· Use as an introduction to researching animals. Choose an animal listed in the glossary to research as a class or group.

· Use the animal glossary to introduce text features. The glossary is an excellent lead in to non-fiction text glossaries.

6. Personal Response

The book’s watercolor illustrations are exquisite! I spent more time looking at the pictures than I did reading the words. Although the story is well written, the illustrations are the main focus of the book. I personally appreciated the animal glossary in the back of the book. Children are always wanting to know what kinds of animals the characters are and the glossary provides an excellent starting point to researching the native wildlife.