Deep in the Swamp

by Donna M. Bateman, Brian Lies (Illustrator)

Overview

Count from 1 otter pup to 10 baby crayfish as readers learn about the special relationships of baby and mom mammals, reptiles, birds, and insects that make their home in the Okefenokee Swamp.

A helpful guide to swamp flora and fauna is included.

Modeled after the song "Over in the Meadow" by Olive A. Wadsworth.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781570915970
Publisher:	Charlesbridge
Publication date:	02/28/2007
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	132,804
Product dimensions:	9.06(w) x 9.06(h) x 0.12(d)
Lexile:	AD890L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Donna Bateman is the author of DEEP IN THE SWAMP and OUT ON THE PRAIRIE. She lives in Bridgeton, Missouri.

Editorial Reviews

Newcomer Bateman puts a swampy spin on a familiar riff in her ode to the Okefenokee. "Deep in the swamp, in a hollow cypress knee,/ Lived a mother flame bird and her little chicks Three./ 'Sweet-sweet!' trilled the mother. 'Sweet-sweet,' trilled the Three./ So they trilled loud and long in their hollow cypress knee." The predictable rhythm and realistic spreads of swamp mamas and their babies (wearing just a hint of a smile) create a soothing tone. The adapted counting rhyme highlights the flora and fauna of the cypress swamp found in southern Georgia and northern Florida. Readers come eye to eye with alligators, nocturnal marsh rabbits and blue herons in flight. Damselflies emerge from their nut-brown cocoons in a bright, blue-hued scene that offers a skyward view of the cypress canopy. Lies's (Bats at the Beach) use of reflected light creates a dramatic contrast with the shadowy swamp undergrowth. In one spread, dark clumps of cypress along a narrow waterway cast murky, olive-green reflections that play up a cloud-white sky and gold-flecked flame birds. The final third of the book contains brief descriptions and handsome spot illustrations of the animals and plants featured, illuminating terms such as neverwet plants and cypress knees ("All cypresses have... heavy roots that reach out to keep them standing firmly in the water. Knees often grow up from the roots and poke out of the water"). An attractive introduction to an exotic locale. Ages 3-6. (Feb.)

Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

Wonderful wildlife illustrations and a rhymed counting text make this book appealing to readers. The swamp referred to in the title is the Okefenokee, and the plants and animals mentioned in the story are all native to that area. A mother otter and her little pup come on the scene first, followed by a mother snapping turtle and her "little turtles Two." Then we see other creatures and their young, including marsh rabbits, alligators, blue heron, damselflies, bullfrogs, and rat snakes. Last comes the crayfish. "Deep in the swamp, in an underwater den,/Lived a mother crayfish and her little crayfish Ten./'Scurry!' said the mother. ‘We scurry!' said the Ten./So they scurried after tadpoles near their underwater den." All of the rhymes are delightful and, adding to the interest, a guide to the plants and animals appears in the book as well.

Children's Literature - Carolyn Mott Ford

K-Gr 3
This stunning book spotlights the flora and fauna of Florida's Okefenokee Swamp, but it is applicable to most Southern swamps and bayous. The text is a version of the familiar poem "Over in the Meadow," with impeccable meter: "Deep in the swamp, in a hollow cypress knee,/Lived a mother flame bird and her little chicks Three./'Sweet-sweet!' trilled the mother. 'Sweet-sweet,' trilled the Three./So they trilled loud and long in their hollow cypress knee." Lies's meticulous and glowing acrylic illustrations feature myriad shades of green, yellow, and blue, calling to mind an Audubon painting. Concluding pages discuss each of the featured species, accompanied by detailed illustrations and interesting facts on the animal babies. This appealing title is a perfect combination of text and art.
—Judith ConstantinidesCopyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

The familiar children's counting rhyme "Over in the Meadow" gets a fresh face in this engaging description of the flora and fauna of the Okefenokee Swamp. Clever internal rhyme, alliteration and careful attention to scansion make this an unusually well-done adaptation. River otters splash, snapping turtles swim, flame birds (prothonotary warblers) trill, marsh rabbits snooze, alligators bask, blue herons soar, damselflies dry their wings, bullfrogs jump, rat snakes climb and crayfish scurry through double-paged acrylic paintings accurately illustrating each creature in its habitat. The last few pages describe the swamp and its inhabitants in more detail, carefully pointing out those that do not, in fact, care for their babies in real life. Delightful as a read-aloud, a counting book or an introduction to the ecosystem for young naturalists. (Picture book/nonfiction. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews