written by Anne Isaacs
Illustrated by Paul O. Zelinsky

* The Horn Book:
“a picture book to remember."

* Kirkus Reviews:
“To say that you are entering Caldecott land doesn't begin to do this book justice.”

Newsweek:
“The year's best and boldest effort has to be Swamp Angel”

USA Today:
“This book has you reaching for the thesaurus in search of better superlatives.”

You can search the universe but you won't find a finer tall tale in the American vernacular tradition. Soon after the book's publication, Anne Isaacs and Paul Zelinsky say they received admiring notes from both William Shakespeare and Jane Austin in the same week; then a pigeon delivered a fan letter from Leonardo da Vinci. Rumor has it that Homer read Swamp Angel and flung the book down in a fit of jealousy, declaring "Why didn't I include a rampaging giant bear in my Odyssey?"

“When Angelica Longrider took her first gulp of air on this earth, there was nothing about the baby to suggest that she would become the greatest woodswoman in Tennessee. The newborn was scarcely taller than her mother, and couldn't climb a tree without help. . . .”

So begins the story of Swamp Angel. It contains lots of adventure, and a rampaging giant bear named Thundering Tarnation.

For Paul, creating the art for Swamp Angel, oil paintings on special wood veneers, was more than a challenge. Publishers Weekly magazine heard about his struggles and thought the story merited a brief mention; after a long, long phone call with Paul, PW reporter M.P. Dunleavy submitted this article that took up most of a spread. (click to read it)