Brave Irene - by William Steig

About the Book

Plucky Irene, a dressmaker's daughter, braves a fierce snowstorm to deliver a new gown to the duchess in time for the ball.

Book Synopsis

This winning heroine will inspire every child to cheer her on as she ventures through a bitter cold snowstorm in William Steig's classic Brave Irene.

Brave Irene is Irene Bobbin, the dressmaker's daughter. Her mother, Mrs. Bobbin, isn't feeling so well and can't possibly deliver the beautiful ball gown she's made for the duchess to wear that very evening. So plucky Irene volunteers to get the gown to the palace on time, in spite of the fierce snowstorm that's brewing-- quite an errand for a little girl.

But where there's a will, there's a way, as Irene proves in the danger-fraught adventure that follows. She must defy the wiles of the wicked wind, her most formidable opponent, and overcome many obstacles before she completes her mission.

Brave Irene is a 1986 New York Times Book Review Best Illustrated Book of the Year.
Adapted into a short film in 1989 from director Daniel Ivanick.

Review Quotes

"Despite a raging snowstorm, Irene, a dressmaker's daughter, offers to deliver the duchess's 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 of the Center for Children's Books

"As an artist and as a storyteller for children, Steig stands alone. In such classics as Amos and Boris, The Amazing Bone, Doctor De Soto, and many others, Steig presents a unique vision of the world-- a place full of joy and grand adventure, where terrible evil exists and the powerful forces of nature rule, but where beauty and magic make life special and meaningful." --Diane Roback, Newsday

About the Author

William Steig (1907-2003) was a cartoonist, illustrator and author of award-winning books for children, including Shrek!, on which the DreamWorks movies are based; the Caldecott Medal-winner Sylvester and the Magic Pebble; The Caldecott Honor book The Amazing Bone; and the Newbury Honor Books Abel's Island and Doctor De Soto. Stieg also published thirteen collections of drawings for adults, including The Lonely Ones, Male/Female, and Our Miserable Life.