“Brave Irene” by William Steig. Published by Square Fish. A delightful story of a little girl and her steadfast determination to help her mother.
Mrs. Bobbin was a dressmaker. She had just finished seeing a beautiful gown for the duchess. There was to be a ball that night. She was tired and had a bad headache. She was feeling too sick to deliver it. Irene, her daughter, felt that the dress was the most beautiful one in the whole world. The duchess was going to love it for sure.
Irene offered to deliver the dress to the duchess. Her mother was reluctant to let her go. The palace was quite far and the package was pretty huge. Besides this, it had begun to snow. Irene however convinced her mother and made her lie down in bed. She took great care to pack the dress safely in a big box and set out to deliver it.
It was very cold and windy outside. The snowfall was increasing steadily. It seemed to be turning into a dangerous blizzard. Would Irene manage to reach the palace safely? Would she be able to deliver the dress? Would she manage to help her mother? What challenges did she face on the way? Was the duchess going to love the dress? Read the charming story to find out.
I enjoyed reading this book with my eight year old. Irene’s determination, courage, perseverance and willingness to help her mother were the highlights of the story. This was our second book by the author after “Sylvester and the Magic Pebble”.
Recommended Age
The book is apt for children aged 5+.
Reasons to Read
The story is a lovely means of telling that determination and perseverance can help us to face problems.