2. A 1995 Caldecott
Honor Book
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A tall tale about a
Tennessee woods
woman who was brave
enough and strong
enough to conquer
Thundering Tarnation, a
menacing bear that
terrorized a small rural
village during the mid
1800s.
3. Technical Perspective
Swamp Angel is at the base of the hill yet she still towers
over the men. The squirrel is small enough to fit into the
palm of her hand. Dogs and birds are often included nearby
to show Swamp Angel’s extreme height.
Cultural
Perspective
Swamp Angel’s
casual dress,
straw bonnet,
and hand bag
slung across her
shoulder reveal
the rural setting.
She is not
dressed like a
city girl. She is
often muddy from
the outdoors. The
coonskin caps
emphasize the
Tennessee
backwoods
setting.
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4. The color scheme utilizes earth tones rather than a bright and vibrant
palette. These colors found in nature reflect the natural setting and subtly
hint at the time period. Nineteenth century imagery would not utilize
bright colors. The antique varnish is evident when looking at the clouds,
which are a warm yellow tint instead of a pure and crisp white.
Each page is
bordered by a wood
background, which
gives the feel that
you are deep inside
a forest nested in a
wooded region of
Tennessee.
Technical
Perspective
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5. Next
Technical Perspective
The Rule of Thirds is
employed in this illustration.
As she is knitting and
putting out a fire, Swamp
Angel is placed at the
intersection of the horizontal
and vertical lines. The
stream leads the viewer’s
eye from the lower left to the
upper right. As the eye
travels across the page, it
sees Swamp Angel engaging
in various activities.
6. “Locked in a bear hug, Swamp Angel and
Thundering Tarnation wrestled across the
hills of Tennessee. They stirred up so much
dust that those hills are still called the Great
Smoky Mountains.”
Historical
Perspective
Swamp Angel broke
stereotypes during a
period when women did
not yet vote, many didn’t
attend college and most
stayed home to take care
of their families. Angel
“was second to none in
buckskin bravery,
performing eye-popping
wonders in the bogs and
backwoods of
Tennessee.” She was
unlike any other woman.
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7. “This is the story of a community of
animals that lived in one such tree in
the rainforest.”
The Great Kapok Tree is a lesson
about the rainforest and its
inhabitants, and a story that sends
the message to young children to do
what is right for the greater good of
society.
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next slide!
8. Technical Perspective
The rainforest is a lush
and tropical place full of
colorful flora and fauna.
The color scheme is
predominantly green with
bursts of vibrant colors.
The intruder is
intentionally a bright
color because he does
not blend into the
environment. The native
species are camouflaged.
9. Technical Perspective
The snakes are looking down on the man who is intruding upon
their home. The upward angle of the picture gives the snakes a
sense of power because they are in their own territory. When the
insects come to speak to the man, a downward angle is used,
making it clear that he is sleeping on the ground and looking
upward toward the animals that are looking down at him. He is
visible by all of the different critters. He is in a vulnerable place.
looking down
upward angle
10. Ethical Perspective
The philosophy of utilitarianism is the belief that the one should
strive to attain the greatest good for the greatest number of people.
The anteater delivers this exact message.
The close proximity between the man and the animals creates an
intimacy that emphasizes the importance of this message.
“The big man
tells you to chop
down a beautiful
tree. He does
not think of his
own children,
who tomorrow
must live in a
world without
trees.” –
Anteater
11. The Golden Rule states:
One should treat others
as one would like others
to treat oneself.
Ethical Perspective
“The roots of these great trees will
wither and die, and there will be
nothing left to hold the earth in
place. When the heavy rains come,
the soil will be washed away and the
forest will become a desert.” -
Monkey
“You will leave many
of us homeless” –
Tree frog
“Senhor, this tree is a tree of
miracles. It is my home,
where generations of my
ancestors have lived. Don’t
chop it down.”–
Boa Constrictor
