Brave+Irene

Brave Irene

By: Willain Steig

Title: Brave Irene Author/Illistrator: William Steig Age Range: 4 - 8 years Grade Level: Preschool - 3 Paperback: 32 pages Publisher: Square Fish; Reprint edition (October 11, 2011) Language: English
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 * [|Author's Bio] **

Brave Irene is story about a little girl, Irene, who offers to help her mother run an errand. When Irene’s mother gets sick, Irene decides to help her mother deliver the dress she had made for the Duchess. However the weather is not on Irene’s side, and she is forced to battle the wind and snow as she tries to deliver the package to the palace by foot. Irene’s journey proves to be a challenging one as she fights against the wind to move forward. At one point Irene loses grip of the box and the dress is ripped from her hands, but she trudges on with the empty box to the palace if only to explain to the duchess what had happened. At the end of the story Irene makes it to the palace only to find that the dress was safely held against a tree ready to be worn by the duchess. The next day Irene is taken by carriage from the palace to her home along with a doctor for her sick mother.
 * Summary: **

Brave Irene is a great book that tells the story of Irene who is making an incredible trek to help her sick mother. Through illustrations William Steig builds suspense, keeping the audience interested and engaged. The drawings in this story take up the whole page allowing the audience to see expressions of, struggling, weariness, and determination from Irene. This story allows young children to connect to the main character, giving them a chance reflect upon a difficult situation they have faced and how they dealt or overcame it.
 * Review: **

The themes of Brave Irene such as, courage and responsibility provide young children with a positive learning experience. As readers we see Irene struggling and being beaten down by the wind and snow as she tries to deliver the box to the palace. However, we then watch Irene as she gathers her courage to keep going despite the storm; and we respect her when she loses the dress but continues on to explain to the duchess and take the responsibility. This book can be used to teach young children about courage and responsibility, ranging from preschool to third grade.
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