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On the day of her birth,
nothing about Angelica Longrider suggested that she would one day
become the greatest woodswoman of Tennessee. In fact, the newborn
was "scarcely taller than her mother and couldn't climb a tree
without help." It's not long, though, before Angelica is
vanquishing varmints such as Thundering Tarnation, a huge bear with
a taste for settlers' winter rations, and swallowing entire lakes
in a gulp.
This tallest of tall tales is an original from an intriguing
newcomer to children's books, Anne Isaacs. In the tradition of Paul
Bunyan and Pecos Bill, the story of a self-sufficient,
tornado-wielding, unflappable heroine lopes along at a perfect
pace. Paul O. Zelinsky's folksy oil illustrations are painted on
cherry, maple, or birch veneers, with old-fashioned frames; the
extravagant and fanciful paintings have garnered the distinguished
illustrator yet another Caldecott Honor. (Zelinsky has already
received one Caldecott Medal for Rapunzel and two Caldecott Honors
for Hansel and Gretel and Rumpelstiltskin.) The dry and
fantastically far-fetched humor of the author-illustrator team will
make readers of all ages feel as though Angelica herself has tossed
'em in the air so high that they are still on the way up at
nightfall. (Ages 4 and older) --Emilie Coulter --This text refers
to the Hardcover edition.
From Publishers Weekly
Zelinsky's (Rumpelstiltskin) stunning American-primitive oil
paintings, set against an unusual background of cherry, maple and
birch veneers, frankly steal the show here. Their success, however,
does not diminish the accomplishment of Isaacs, whose feisty tall
tale marks an impressive picture-book debut. Her energy-charged
narrative introduces Angelica Longrider. "On August 1, 1815,"
Isaacs begins, "when [she] 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.... She was a full two years old before she built her first
log cabin." The story continues in this casually overstated vein,
explaining how Angelica got the appellation Swamp Angel at the age
of 12 after rescuing a wagon train mired in the mud. 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. --This text refers
to the Hardcover edition.
From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 3-Newborn Angelica Longrider, "scarcely taller
than her mother," was a "full two years old before she built her
first log cabin." 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. Set in
Tennessee, it is the story of a resourceful young woman who rescued
wagon trains "mired in Dejection Swamp." Now she has set her sights
on saving settlers from an enormous black bear named Thundering
Tarnation and beating the lineup of male competitors in the
process. Zelinsky paints his primitive views of Americana with oil
on veneer, a choice that gives each page a grainy border, well
suited to this backwoods tale. A master of composition, he varies
readers' perspectives by framing the portrait of the newborn and,
later, the series of male hunters with small ovals. He uses
double-page lunettes to depict the massive bear and woman sprawled
across the pages, and places the menacing beast lunging over the
frame in another memorable scene. The pictures and words cavort
across the page in perfect synchronization, revealing the heroine's
feisty solution. Buy for a great guffaw in small groups or
one-on-one. It's an American classic in the making.
Wendy Lukehart, Dauphin County Library, Harrisburg, PA
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers
to the Hardcover edition.
From Booklist
Ages 5-9. Forget those images of angelic maidens, ethereal and
demure. Angelica Longrider is the greatest woodswoman in Tennessee.
She can lasso a tornado. She can toss a bear into the sky so hard
that it is still on the way up at nightfall. She snores like a
locomotive in a thunderstorm. Isaacs tells her original story with
the glorious exaggeration and uproarious farce of the traditional
tall tale and with its typical laconic idiom--you just can't help
reading it aloud. The heroine was nothing special as a newborn baby
("scarcely taller than her mother and couldn't climb a tree without
help . . . She was a full two years old before she built her first
log cabin"). Zelinsky's detailed oil paintings in folk-art style
are exquisite, framed in cherry, maple, and birch wood grains. They
are also hilarious, making brilliant use of perspective to extend
the mischief and the droll understatement. Sweetfaced Angelica
wears a straw bonnet and a homespun dress, but she's a stalwart
savior who comes tramping out of the mist on huge bare feet to lift
a wagon train from Dejection Swamp. She is bent over in many of the
pictures as if too tall to fit in the elegant oval frames. Pair
this picture book with Lester and Pinkney's John Henry for a
gigantic tall-tale celebration. Hazel Rochman --This text refers to
the Hardcover edition.
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