By: Donna M. Bateman Publisher: Charlesbridge Publishing Average Rating: Binding: Paperback Label: Charlesbridge Publishing Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 32 Publication Date: January 15, 2007 Reading Level: Ages 4-8
Combined learning The book has the sing song rhyme based on "Over in the Meadow". You wander through the swamp and find a mother and her little babies (some number) in some part of the swamp doing an activity that animal might do, and the book continues in that some rhythm with the next number and the next, etcetera.
The illustrations are very beautiful. When you complete the book there is a section in the back that discusses this Southern swamp and the flora and fauna indigenious to that swamp.
We enjoyed the rhyme, the pictures, the counting, and the information about the swamp. We like books that combine different areas of learning. But also like the Over in the Meadow rhyme this book is about the momma and her babies. But if you're a daddy with babies you can change the rhyme to suit your needs as my husband does when he reads it.
Contradictory Information & "Where are the Fathers?" Rhyming verse and counting are combined with the animals and plants of Okefenokee Swamp. In the back is more information about each animal and plant mentioned in the verses. My kids liked to count all the babies and we talked about things shown in the pictures like the damselflies shedding their skin. I was promoting this book as Educational and Fun until I took a closer look:
My first concern - which I noticed our first read and my son noticed about two weeks later when he asked the same question that had been on my mind "Where are the fathers?". When talking about each animal it mentions how many babies there are and what the mother does for them, but fathers are never mentioned. I don't know everything about all the animals, but I'm sure there are animal residents of Okefenokee Swamp which have fathers playing a role in the little one's development to adulthood.
The back of the book does give some vague recognition to fathers in the following species: Blue Heron - "Heron parents share the incubation of their eggs and the feeding of their chicks." Flame Bird - "Only the mother bird incubates the eggs, keeping them warm with her body: but both parents feed the chicks." River Otter - "The mothers care for the pups alone for several months, but the father otter may help later."
My other concern is the contradictory information given in the book. In the rhyming and counting portion of Deep in the Swamp, all the mothers of the animals and insects mentioned in the book (including bullfrogs, damselflies, rat snakes, and snapping turtles) are portrayed as caring for their young and directing them. Then we get to the back of the book and are given this information: Bullfrog - "Mothers do not stay to care for the eggs or tadpoles, some of which are eaten by animals." Damselfly - "Damselfly mothers do not raise their larvae." Rat Snake - "Mothers sometimes coil around their eggs but do not raise their babies." Snapping Turtle - "Mother snapping turtles lay their eggs in a nest hole and then leave. They don't protect the nest or raise the babies that hatch."
Motion and life The words in this book have a lively rhythm to them, and the illustrations are tender and filled with movement. It can be used as a counting book, but it doesn't overemphasize that fact. It is fun to read over and over again.
Great for Gator Fans! Got this for a Gator fan "mom-to-be" as part of a shower gift. Big hit!
Appeals to a range of ages /Deep in the Swamp/ is comprised of two parts. In the first part, charming rhymes introduce young children to the flora and fauna of a swamp. Each animal has a different number of babies, which allows children to practice counting as they move through the book. The second part is comprised of more expository discussions of the animals and plants from the first part, which should keep the attention of older children. The whole book is beautifully illustrated and captivated my two-year old.
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