Liza Lou and the Yeller Belly Swamp

When Liza Lou's mother dispatches her to her Gramma's house with some sweet potatoes, she warns her to be careful, in crossing the Yeller Belly Swamp - home to good-for-nothing swamp haunts, a wicked swamp witch, the slithery gobblygook, and a soul-stealing swamp devil. But our intrepid young heroine has a trick or two up her sleeve, something those nasty swamp monsters discover, as she crisscrosses their territory in the course of her errands...

First published in 1976 (the year I was born), this delightful picture-book from the prolific Mercer Mayer - creator of the Little Critter books, as well as illustrator of many fairy-tale retellings - would have been available in my childhood, and I regret that I did not encounter it then! I would have loved it - I love it now! Liza Lou is a clever and resourceful heroine, and I think readers - young and old, boy and girl - will take her adventures to heart. Mayer's illustrations are adorable, both realistic and cute (I loved Liza Lou's little opossum companion!), and add to the sense of fun.

I was a little confused by the inclusion of this title in a folktale group-read, over in the Picture-Book Club to which I belong, but I guess that the inclusion of so many folkloric elements - outwitting the devil is always a classic theme, and the gobblygook under the bridge could be read as a troll - make it a sort of fractured fairy-tale. In any case: whatever the genre, the story and art are top-notch! Highly recommended to all! ( )

Originally published in 1976. I read this book to my son when he was little "countless" times. I loved camping it up with the "yeller belly swamp" accent, and he loved listening to it. Mercer Meyer never talks down to kids. Liza Lou is smart as a whip and figures things out. A wonderful "read to me" book! ( )

In this fiction fantasy Liza Lou's mother asks her to bring several different things to different relatives. Each trip requires her to go through the Yeller Belly Swamp where each time she comes across a haunt, a witch, a gobblygook, and the swamp devil. Liza Lou manages to outwit all the monsters and they are never seen again in the Yeller Belly Swamp.

This book was a little difficult to read. Although it was very adventurous and interesting, I think that it would be hard to follow along to. This book was about Liza Lou doing favors for her mother that require her to cross the Yeller Belly Swamp. Liza Lou was always open to do what her mother asked of her. She always outsmarted the scary creatures and they never bother anyone again. Liza Lou is very smart and always thought of things to best get out of each situation with the Yeller Belly Swamp.

Liza Lou And The Yeller Belly Swamp by Mercer Mayer (1997) Each day Liza Lou is asked to run errands for her family members. On her way she must go through a swamp and each time she encounters a swamp monster. Liza Lou is a very smart young girl and tricks the swamp monsters and escapes each time. Liza Lou is a brave girl who never runs out of ideas and always completes her errands.

This book would be appropriate for children grades 2nd-3rd. Throughout the story there are short poems that go along with storyline. It is an intermediate picture book and a work of ficiton. This book would take at least ten minutes to read out loud. ( )