I Will Be Fierce

by Bea Birdsong, Nidhi Chanani (Illustrator)

Overview

Written by Bea Birdsong and illustrated by Nidhi Chanani, I Will Be Fierce is a powerful picture book about courage, confidence, kindness, and finding the extraordinary in everyday moments.

Today, I will be fierce!

It's a brand new day, and a young girl decides to take on the world like a brave explorer heading off on an epic fairytale quest. From home to school and back again, our hero conquers the Mountain of Knowledge (the library), forges new bridges (friendships), and leads the victorious charge home on her steed (the school bus).

A 2020 Southern Book Prize Finalist

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250394194
Publisher:	Roaring Brook Press
Publication date:	06/17/2025
Pages:	22
Product dimensions:	6.50(w) x 6.50(h) x 1.00(d)
Age Range:	3 - 6 Years

About the Author

Bea Birdsong began her career as a classroom teacher before becoming a writer and editor for the education market. She has a degree in English Literature and Elementary Education from the University of Miami. Bea is a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators and Sisters in Crime. She lives in North Carolina with her husband, son, and spoiled rescue dog named Bilbo. She spends her free time reading, traveling, and searching for hidden doors to other worlds. I Will Be Fierce is her first picture book.

Nidhi Chanani was born in Kolkata, India, and raised in Southern California. She holds a degree in literature from the University of California, Santa Cruz. In 2012 she was honored at the White House as a Champion of Change for her art. She has worked with companies like Disney and Hasbro and is the creator of the graphic novel Pashmina. Nidhi lives in the San Francisco Bay area with her husband, daughter, and two cats.

Editorial Reviews

A multicultural girl-power manifesto . . . Birdsong's repeated refrain underlines the unambiguous message of this sassy picture book, and Chanani's bold and energetic illustrations reinforce the text's punchy, feminist-y declarations. . . the book will find repeated use in the classroom.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Readers will smile at the charming and clever interplay between the words and pictures, and even younger audiences will understand the subtext: Being fierce means being kind to others and finding joy. The bright, expressive illustrations are full of movement, giving purpose to the girl’s adventure.” —Booklist

“A simple, empowering tale that encourages children to be the heroes of their own stories. An engaging choice for storytime or one-on-one sharing.” —School Library Journal

From the Publisher

05/31/2019

K-Gr 2-A school-aged girl uses her imagination to feel confident as she goes about her day. She is determined to answer the call to adventure and to be fierce. She considers her schoolbag her treasure chest and her rainbow-striped shirt her armor. When she encounters someplace new, she imagines herself walking tall in a world of giants, dragons, and serpents. She is bold and brave whether she's in the library, in the cafeteria, or with her grandparents. The atmospheric illustrations add another dimension to the story. VERDICT A simple, empowering tale that encourages children to be the heroes of their own stories. An engaging choice for storytime or one-on-one sharing.-Tanya Boudreau, Cold Lake Public Library, Alta.

School Library Journal

2019-03-03

A multicultural girl-power manifesto featuring a feisty young girl who faces her day as a knight on an epic quest.

The unnamed narrator puts on her "armor" (a rainbow sweater) and fills her "treasure chest" (a backpack). Venturing forth to "explore new worlds," she drives back "dragons" (neighborhood dogs on their walk), boards the "many-headed serpent" (her school bus, with schoolmates' heads protruding from every window), and visits "the Mountain of Knowledge" (the school library) to "solve the mysteries of the unknown." After standing up for her beliefs—by joining a classmate sitting alone in the cafeteria—the young girl returns home to rest in the lap of an older female relative, possibly a grandparent/primary caregiver, to prepare for the next day, when she can be "fierce again." Birdsong's repeated refrain—"I will be fierce!"—underlines the unambiguous message of this sassy picture book, and Chanani's bold and energetic illustrations reinforce the text's punchy, feminist-y declarations. They depict a joyously multiracial environment, consciously tackling stereotypes with an elderly, white, female bus driver and a groovy, Asian-presenting librarian with a green streak in her hair. The fierce protagonist herself has brown skin and fluffy, dark brown hair, and her caregiver also has brown skin.

Birdsong began her career as a teacher, and the book will find repeated use in the classroom. (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews