Deep in the Swamp

by Donna M. Bateman, Brian Lies (Illustrator)

Set to the melody of  “Over in the Meadow ,” readers will love reading, counting, and singing along with the creatures that live in the swamp. Count from one otter pup and his mother, two little turtles and their mama snapping turtle, three little chicks and their mother flame bird, all the way up to ten baby crayfish in their underwater den.

With lush illustrations from the award-winning Brian Lies, the habitats come to life with vibrant color and detail, as they show all the plants and animals that make the swamp their home.

For more advanced readers, backmatter includes fun facts about all the flora and fauna named in this story, set in the Okefenokee Swamp.

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Childrens, Counting, Science, Nonfiction, Storytime

32 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 2007

About the author

Brian Lies is the author and/or illustrator of more than twenty children's books, including the New York Times bestsellers BATS AT THE BEACH and BATS AT THE LIBRARY (named the Indie Choice Best Picture Book of 2008)."

Reviews

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

As we live in Florida and spend a lot of time in Gainesville, we are all-too-familiar with the swamps, prairies, and all the creatures who live there. This book was a fun, educational read that made me smile!

[Mason Hazelwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

An adventurous story that takes readers into the swamp to learn to count through rhyming and animal illustrations. This book is full of full page spread illustrations and very detailed and almost real images. The water in the pages seems to even be reflective which just shows how much detail the pictures contain. The illustrations allow readers to get an accurate representation of the animals and their habitats in a simple counting book. One neat part about this book as well is in the back pages where it has each animal in a smaller illustration and gives characteristics and fun facts about them. This book’s illustrations seem to be more age-appropriate for ages 6-9 but the counting and rhyming part could be used earlier if needed.

[Sheri · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a parody of the tune for "Down by the Meadow"counting song. This one uses "deep in the swamp . . . and adds otters, snapping turtles, rabbits, alligators, blue herons, bullfrogs, damselflies, crayfish and a rat snake. Nice swamp facts about each animal in the song or chant for children to count 1-9. This one came with a recording to play the tune as the children read through the rhyming story and back matter about each of these swamp animals. Good resource for song, game and classroom ecosystem study.

[Ang · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summary: Welcome to the Okefenokee Swamp, where baby critters and their mothers merrily splash, swim, trill, snooze, bask, soar, zip, jump, climb, and scurry all day long. From mammals to reptiles to birds to insects, learn about the animals that inhabit this lush environment. Light-filled paintings beautifully capture the atmosphere and critters of the Okefenokee Swamp. Also included is a helpful guide to swamp flora and fauna. -- inside left jacket flap

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

The illustrations in this book are amazing! I chose to read this book because of the picture of the frogs that is reminiscent of "Tuesday".

The repetition of the stanzas as the animals count to 10 is nice.

I really liked the nonfiction part in the back that gives information on the swamp and its animals and plant life. I like the combination of fiction and nonfiction.

[Emily Farquhar · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun book with lots of rhymes and information about the animals that lay deep in the Okefenokee Swamp. This book is a great opportunity for students to practice counting in a new way, through animals and relationship building! The sentence fluency is great in this book.

F&P: H
AR: 1.4

Six Traits:
Sentence Fluency
Word Choice

[Audrey Sauble · Rating 5 out of 5]

What kinds of animals live in the swamp? This picture book combines the melody and structure of "Over in the Meadow" with different, swampy ecosystem. It's a fun story with lovely illustrations, and we enjoyed it immensely.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

LFL find. Better science and more lush art than the cover implies. Excellent aftermatter, explaining that everything that is in the book is found in southern GA, northern FL... but also explaining which mothers actually raise their young and what role the other parents have. I liked it.

[Angela De Groot · Rating 4 out of 5]

Count the critters that call the Okefenokee swamp home. Fun to read rhyme and lovely illustrations.

[Paula · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okefenokee Swap's mothers and babies splash, swim, trill, snooze, bask, soar, zip, jump, climb and scurry all day long with a helpful guide to swamp flora and fauna.

[Nancy S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice rhyming. Counting to ten.

[Joleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent!! Well written, informative, and fun to read. Amazing illustrations!

[Jeani · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good one as far as counting books go.

[mae's kids books]

counting, lyrical, can be sung

[Dustin the wind Crazy little brown owl · Rating 2 out of 5]

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."

[Leslie Bardo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This fun and easy to follow book, entitled “Deep in the Swamp”, is by author Donna Bateman. At first, I was turned off to the title page because I am afraid of alligators and they do not seem like friendly creatures, but I was proven wrong with this book. All of the swamp animals portrayed in this book have very cheerful faces and are easy to love. This book gives a fun, yet informational view on swamp animals. It also includes the concept of numbers, as you count how many babies each mother animal has. The images of the mother animals and their babies were so cute and lovable, as well. The cute characters were drawn with great detail and professionalism by Brian Lies. The book includes repeated rhymes that are helpful, especially to young children learning numbers one through ten. The vocabulary usage by Bateman was age-appropriate for ages 4 through 6. I thought that the vocabulary had great definitions for not only the animals, but for the scenery and actions of the animals as well. This book would be good for the use of studying swamplands and counting. At the end of the book, there is an informational section about not only the names of all the animals but random facts about them. This section of the book would be appropriate for older children who want to read this information independently. I would definitely read this in my future classroom, which is why I would rate it overall a 4 out of 5. The only reason I didn’t rate it a 5 out of 5 is because I did not enjoy the swamp setting. I want to teach in Kentucky and my geographic location does not include swamplands. If I was teaching numbers, I think I might choose a different book, but if I was specifically teaching about swamplands, I would definitely purchase this book to have as one of my resources in the classroom.

[Madeline Coyne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Deep in the Swamp by Donna Bateman is a picture story type book for counting. The illustrations to this book was absolutely amazing. Allowing the reader to see exactly what animals they are looking at. Each animal looks accurate to what they would look like in the wild. The vegetation and other surrounding makes it feel like one is actually in a swamp seeing all of these creatures. This book allows readers to count the number of babies each animal has in the swamp. The focus is not truly on the counting though. The reader is more in tune with the pictures than they are with the words being stated. It is the readers job to point out the number of babies the animal has. However, it is an easy read that has a great end rhyme. That allows the reader to effortlessly read the page.

At the end of the story is a whole end of the book explaining the animals and the plants that live and thrive in swamps. This is a bit too much information for students that are just trying to learn how to count. The book is more for a little older an audience that may need some assistance counting. It does not show the numbers themselves however it uses them in the words and allows the reader to count the babies. I would not use this unless I were in a science class and had to discuss the animals and the vegetation in the swamp and wanted illustrations of these things. Overall the illustrations were phenomenal however the emphasis on learning to count is not as strong as some other counting books one would find.

[Jordon Worley · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Deep in the Swamp" is a counting book with a theme of animals that live in and around swamps. I really enjoyed reading this book. I love how everything rhymes because it makes the book flow and it makes it fun to read. I could see myself reading this aloud to a kindergarden class or having second graders read it independently. Although second graders know how to count, there are some terms that would be difficult for Kindergarden and first graders, such as "cypress" and "damselfly." I also really enjoyed the illustrations. I like how all of the animals appear to be happy or smiling. Alligators and snakes are typically very scary creatures, but because of the pictures, I feel as though children would enjoy reading about them. As if this book wasn't good enough, this book has an added bonus at the end. At the end, there are terms that can be found throughout the book. The terms all have a few sentences to describe them, and most are accompanied by a photo. This can be very informational for students as they learn about nature and expand their vocabularies. The only aspect about the book I didn't really like is that it came to an abrupt stop. I understand that the book is counting from one to ten, but I feel as though it should have had one more page after ten to sum up everything and conclude the story.

[Laura Brower · Rating 3 out of 5]

Counting Book Type:

Donna M. Bateman’s work takes young readers on a wonderful journey as they develop their counting skills and knowledge of wildlife. The narrator travels through the swamp, introducing different animals by implementing numbers. For example, the book begins with a mother otter and her child where she writes:

“Deep in the swamp, in the warm morning sun.
Lived a mother river otter and her little pup One.
“Splash!” said the mother. “I splash.” said the One.
So they splashed and they played in the warm morning sun.”

Similar to this passage, the author introduces other animals, who indicate the number of their offspring. The mother-turtle, in example, refers to her “little turtles Two,” and the mother-bird speaks to her “little chicks Three.” The illustrations possess great detail, depicting the scenes in a realistic light. Such colorful and authentic depictions do a really good job at capturing the reader’s attention. Moreover, I enjoyed the wordless images that followed these passages. It made me feel very involved in the setting, as if I was there in that moment.

Overall, this picture book is a highly helpful tool for young readers who are developing their counting skills. The illustrations add much to the learning effect as well. I strongly recommend this book to young readers.

[Holly Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Deep in the Swamp" is a counting book that describes different animals in the Okefenokee Swamp.The book showcases different mother and their babies living in the swamp. Each turn of the page showcases not only a different animal that lives in this area but the next number in the sequence from 1 to 10. The book also showcases a characteristic of what that animal does to get around. At the end of the book as an area that describes in detail the different animals and plants that are showcased in the book. The illustrations are very realistic and beautiful, giving students a great idea of what these animals look like.

This book could be used across curriculum in math for kindergartners to learn counting, especially 1 to 10. It would be good to use in science during a habitat study for different grades most likely up to third. As well as a good writing area. To use these two subjects again with writing we could take a previously studied habitat that the kids are familiar with, and have a group each work on a number 1 through 10 and draw pictures and write a short description like this book.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deep in the Swamp, by Donna M. Bateman, is an excellent book! It tells about all of the animals that live in the swamp but does it by counting and rhyming. Each page features a different animal family. It tells where they live in the swamp and what they do there. It uses rhyming, which I absolutely love and I think kids would too. The illustrations are very well done; they are colorful and very detailed! The animals look realistic, especially the otters and rabbits. Another thing I like about this book is the fact that it is educational. Not only does it tell where each animal lives and what they do, but at the end of the story there are "Swamp Flora and Fauna Facts". It goes into more detail about the animals featured in the story and the plants/trees/prairies they live in. This would get kids interested in science and biology, which is awesome. This book would be a great addition to a science lesson, but would still be interesting to read outside of school. I would definitely have this book in my classroom AND it would probably be one I'd read aloud to my students.

[Tyler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book that helps children learn to count. There is a mother river otter and her one pup. There is a mother snapping turtle and her two little turtles. There is a mother flame bird and her three little chicks. There is a mother marsh rabbit and her four little bunnies. There is a mother alligator and her five little gators. There is a mother blue heron and her six little chicks. There is a mother damselfly and her seven little flies. There is a mother bullfrog and her eight little froglets. There is a mother rat snake and her nine little snakes. There is a mother crayfish and her ten little crayfish. The Illustrations that Brian Lies done was amazing. He captured the mothers and their babies is stunning detail on the page. Even the plants such as cypress trees were drawn so true to real life. The illustrations helped the book in that it gave the words meaning and action. This book also gives facts about the plants and animals you see in the swamp.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book really resonates with me. The while never openly stated, the book is written to the tune of Over in the Meadow. The setting is the Okefenokee Swamp, so it introduces many interesting animals unique to this habitat. My favorite is the marsh rabbit which will actually jump in the water if it is in danger. The story ends with several pages of "swamp flora and facts" which is super cool if you live in the northeast like I do. Now about the illustrations. Brian Lies has a knack for putting a mischievous gleam in the eye when necessary. His animals are not realistically portrayed but are given a more cuddly look, - well, with the exception of the alligator! I do admit I have a soft spot for this illustrator. He responded to letters written by my second grade library class! Finally, this book also has some great words to introduce to the younger elementary set. It is nice to see a book where language is not over-simplified. This story is not your average "counting" book.

[Amy Seto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set to the familiar tune of “Over the Meadow” this non-fiction picture book introduces readers to the plants and animals of the Okefenokee Swamp. Count your way from one to ten through a stunning variety of birds, reptiles, and mammals that live in this cypress swamp, located in southern Georgia and northern Florida. An alphabetical glossary of facts is included at the back of the book.

The rhyming text of this book not only introduces readers to the swamp flora and fauna, it also uses some great vocabulary expanding words, such as “bask” and “trilled.” The painterly illustrations are accurate and detailed, but never stilted or stiff. There is wonderful movement and a sense of playfulness as the animals soar, jump, swim, and fly through the lush swamp landscape.

Full Review at Picture-Book-a-Day: http://picturebookaday.blogspot.com/2...

[Sarah Hutchinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is perfect for any nature lover who wants to incorporate a counting lesson. The creative and entertaining words paired with the wonderfully designed acrylic illustrations truly combine to make an amazing book. The book takes you through the habitats of different creatures while increasing the number with every turn of the page. I found this book to be very refreshing and enjoyable way to teach or introduce counting to children.

Deep in the Swamp would be a great book for pre-K through 1st grade. It would be perfect connection between counting but also learning about the habitats of different animals. The back of the book has facts about the different animals, plants, and locations mentioned in the story. Overall, this book would make a wonderful addition to any classroom book self.

[Angela Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Deep in the Swamp" is a cute counting and rhyming book by Donna M. Bateman. In the picture book, Donna tells the story of all of the mother animals in the swamp and their varying number of children. She increases the number of baby animals by one each time and tells the story in a rhythmic rhyme. The end of the book also showcases a glossary of many of the animals and terms used throughout the story and his glossary connects to the wonderful illustrations throughout the book. Brian Lies illustrates this book using realistic drawings of the animals doing the actions described in the text. I think the illustrations really enhance the story and connect well with the text. This book would be a great book to read to children who are learning to add or count. Students could guess how many babies the next animals are going to have before the teacher turns the page.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written by Donna Bateman
Illustrated by Brian Lies
Narrated and sung by Tom Chapin
Live Oak Media, 2014

Bateman's variation on the children's classic, Over in the Meadow, takes us deep into the Okefenokee Swamp to meet the diversity of creatures living there. Tom Chapin's energetic and enthusiastic narration draws the reader-listener's attention firmly to the herons, alligators, marsh rabbits, and more, while the musical underbed and swamp soundscape add to the feeling that we, too, are deep in the swamp. The inclusion of a swamp glossary extends the instructional usefulness of this read-along for students in grades K-3, but the real gem is hearing Chapin sing the story at the conclusion of the narrated story. The deliberate pacing works well, allowing listeners to become absorbed by Lies' colored-drenched acrylic paintings.

[Chelsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Deep in the Swamp” by Donna M. Bateman, illustrated by Brian Lies, is a children’s counting book. Within the story Bateman takes readers on an adventure out to the swamp where they see the different animals of otters, turtles, birds, rabbits, alligators, herons, damselflies, bullfrogs, snakes, and crayfish. This adorable counting book rhymes throughout the entirety of the story- making for a great read aloud. I absolutely loved the illustrations as they were very detailed and vibrant and the animals looked very realistic! In addition, the end of the book has “Swamp Flora and Fauna Facts”- which give detailed facts to different animals that live in swamps. Therefore, even though this book is a counting book- it could also be used for older children in their science classes.

[Sydney Hall]

It was hard for me to pick a bookshelf for this book because I would consider it to be both fiction and non-fiction. It counts to ten with different swamp animals while showing and explaining their environment and how they live. At the end of the book it includes facts about the different swamp animals that are mentioned. I think this might be confusing for some students who are just starting to get the hang of genre and be best suited for the older grades (4th-5th). It would also be a good transition into a new science lesson on animals, ecosystems or food chains. Also, the illustrations in this book are so beautiful!

[SLoMoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Classic story structure that we have read several times and enjoy. (“Deep in the swamp, in the warm morning sun, live a mother river otter and her little pup One. ‘Splash!’ said the mother. ‘I splash,’ said the One. So they splashed and they played in the warm morning sun.”). This one is about swamp flora and fauna. It was excellent to include an illustrated reference section at the back of the book, which we needed to consult twice on our first reading. What is neverwet? What is bamboo vine? Perfectly explained in a concise and visually appealing manner. We could pause to answer our question and then resume reading. This book’s illustrations are gorgeous.