| "William
Steig's Brave Irene has the timeless quality of a classic
fairy tale." --Publishers Weekly
"An Extraordinarily eloquent story about love and courage." --The New Yorker
"Despite a raging
snowstorm, Irene, a dressmaker's daughter, offers to deliver the
duchess' newly finished ball gown . . . With sure writing and well-composed, riveting art, Steig keeps readers with Irene every step of
the long way." --*Starred/Booklist
"One of Steig's simplest
stories [and] one of his best, a tale that has the force of a
legend." --Bulletin for the Center for Children's Books
Awards
Booklist Editors' Choice
Horn Book Fanfare
New York Times Book Review Best Illustrated Book of the Year
Publishers Weekly Notable Children's Book of the Year
Reviews
Booklist - *starred review
Steig introduces another winning character in Irene Bobbin. Despite
a raging snowstorm, Irene, a dressmaker's daughter, offers to
deliver the duchess' newly finished ball gown when her mother takes
ill. Mrs. Bobbin reluctantly agrees but when Irene gets outside,
snowflakes blur in her eyes, the wind pushes and pulls her along,
and blowing gusts eventually whip the dress box from her mittened
hands. She grabs the box, but the dress flies out and whirls away.
Despite a sore foot, a dejected Irene tramps on, determined to
explain to the duchess what happened, but soon she is lost in the
snow. Suddenly, she spots a light in the forest-the palace. At first
too tired to continue, she quickly realizes she can use the dress
box for a sled. And there, plastered on a tree outside the duchess
palace is the dress! Irene is welcomed inside and even takes a spin
around the dance floor before being driven home in a horse-drawn
sleigh. Anyone who has ever fought against overwhelming odds (or
been out in a snowstorm) will respond to Irene's tenacity. With sure
writing and well-composed, riveting art, Steig keeps readers with
Irene every step of the long way. The pictures, which take up about
two-thirds of each page, are done in winter blues, purples, and
grays that gradually get darker as Irene trudges on. An overlay of
swirling white snow adds appropriate atmosphere. A good choice for
reading aloud, especially to primary-grade children, who will
appreciate the story's vitality.
Kirkus Reviews - *starred
review
Irene Bobbin, dressmaker's daughter, tucks her ill mother
comfortably in bed and sets out through a storm to deliver a ball
gown to the duchess; despite an interfering wind and heavy snow, she
makes it.
Steig, who tells his
uncomplicated story in a disarmingly breezy style, is a master of
the perfect unexpected word, the startlingly right phrase. Mrs.
Bobbin calls her wholesome daughter "cupcake,"
"dumpling," and "pudding." The ill-tempered
wind, a feisty character in itself, rips open the precious box,
whereupon "The ball gown flounced out and went waltzing through
the powdered air with tissue-paper attendants." The
illustrations showing Irene's indomitable struggle on her way
between comfortable home and welcoming castle complement the text
admirably, deftly charting the passage on Irene's expressive face of
determination, discouragement, surprise and jubilation; the
illustrations are also interesting as a series of subtly changing
paintings of girl and yellow box in a gradually darkening winter
landscape."
A thoroughly satisfying
picture book from this producer of both Newbery and Caldecott Honor
books. |
Brave
Irene