Today I’m shining the spotlight on
Bea Birdsong,
author of
I WILL BE FIERCE!
I WILL BE FIERCE!
a January #cbadspotlight pick to set the tone for a new year.
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).
This story is a powerful declaration about courage, confidence, kindness, and finding the extraordinary in everyday moments.
Thank you, Bea, for joining me for a #cbadspotlight interview today!
What was your
inspiration for writing this book?
inspiration for writing this book?
Childhood is not easy. Even a child with the best possible
circumstances can feel powerless, and so many children do not have the best
possible circumstances. As a child, I often escaped into books. Stories were
the one place I was not afraid to answer the call to adventure. In the pages of
books, I dared to walk with giants. I
wanted to write a book that would help kids carry that feeling with them out
into the world.
circumstances can feel powerless, and so many children do not have the best
possible circumstances. As a child, I often escaped into books. Stories were
the one place I was not afraid to answer the call to adventure. In the pages of
books, I dared to walk with giants. I
wanted to write a book that would help kids carry that feeling with them out
into the world.
What message do you
hope kids (of all ages) take away from this book?
hope kids (of all ages) take away from this book?
I hope I Will Be
Fierce helps readers recognize their inner fierceness! I hope they will
feel empowered to chart their own course, stand up for their beliefs, and claim
their place as the hero of their life story. I want readers to know it is not
only okay, but necessary, that they take an active role in their lives and in
their communities. When readers turn the final page, I hope they feel
confident, courageous, and ready to take on the world.
Fierce helps readers recognize their inner fierceness! I hope they will
feel empowered to chart their own course, stand up for their beliefs, and claim
their place as the hero of their life story. I want readers to know it is not
only okay, but necessary, that they take an active role in their lives and in
their communities. When readers turn the final page, I hope they feel
confident, courageous, and ready to take on the world.
What was your writing
& revision process like for this story?
& revision process like for this story?
I tend to write very clean first drafts. I actually queried
agents with the first draft of I Will Be
Fierce, and I signed with my dream agent, Melissa Edwards of Stonesong.
(This isn’t something you should necessarily do, even though it happened to
work out for me.) Before we went out on submission, Melissa suggested I add a
bit more to the story, which I did. After the book was acquired, my amazing
editor, Connie Hsu, suggested I add a bit more still and rearrange the order of
some of the events. So, the final book is the third draft of the story.
agents with the first draft of I Will Be
Fierce, and I signed with my dream agent, Melissa Edwards of Stonesong.
(This isn’t something you should necessarily do, even though it happened to
work out for me.) Before we went out on submission, Melissa suggested I add a
bit more to the story, which I did. After the book was acquired, my amazing
editor, Connie Hsu, suggested I add a bit more still and rearrange the order of
some of the events. So, the final book is the third draft of the story.
Was there any part of
the process where you worked together with your illustrator on the vision for this book?
the process where you worked together with your illustrator on the vision for this book?
Although the illustrator of I Will Be Fierce, Nidhi Chanani, and I did not work together, I
felt from the beginning that our visions for this book were aligned. From
Nidhi’s initial sketches, which Connie shared with me, I could see that Nidhi
understood perfectly what I wanted to accomplish with this book. Her ideas
blended with mine, and we ended up with a book we both love.
felt from the beginning that our visions for this book were aligned. From
Nidhi’s initial sketches, which Connie shared with me, I could see that Nidhi
understood perfectly what I wanted to accomplish with this book. Her ideas
blended with mine, and we ended up with a book we both love.
What is your favorite
part of making picture books?
part of making picture books?
My favorite part of writing picture books is creating new
characters. There is a special moment when a reader stops thinking about a
character as a person in a book and starts thinking about that character as a real
person. That’s when characters become friends and family. They become a part of
our lives. I’m always delighted to hear from readers who view Fierce Girl in
this way.
characters. There is a special moment when a reader stops thinking about a
character as a person in a book and starts thinking about that character as a real
person. That’s when characters become friends and family. They become a part of
our lives. I’m always delighted to hear from readers who view Fierce Girl in
this way.
#cbadspotlight is
putting the spotlight on inclusive #ownvoices books. What can you share with
students about the connection you have to this book or the choices you made
while writing/illustrating it to add diverse representation?
putting the spotlight on inclusive #ownvoices books. What can you share with
students about the connection you have to this book or the choices you made
while writing/illustrating it to add diverse representation?
Fierce Girl is the best version of me. She is the girl I
wish I had been and the woman I try to be every day. She is also a person of
color, which I am not. That part of the character came from the book’s
illustrator, Nidhi Chanani. I was happy Nidhi brought this vision to the book
because there aren’t enough books with strong protagonists who are girls of color.
Nidhi also made sure that the world around Fierce Girl reflects the diversity
of our society.
wish I had been and the woman I try to be every day. She is also a person of
color, which I am not. That part of the character came from the book’s
illustrator, Nidhi Chanani. I was happy Nidhi brought this vision to the book
because there aren’t enough books with strong protagonists who are girls of color.
Nidhi also made sure that the world around Fierce Girl reflects the diversity
of our society.
#classroombookaday is
a goal to read aloud a picture book every day of the school year to students at
any grade. What would you like to say to the teachers who are taking on this
challenge?
a goal to read aloud a picture book every day of the school year to students at
any grade. What would you like to say to the teachers who are taking on this
challenge?
Thank you! I love hearing from K-12 educators who have read I Will Be Fierce in their classrooms. As
a former teacher, a mother, and an author, I believe reading to kids is the
single greatest thing you can do to help them realize their full potential. I
am grateful for the teachers and librarians who are putting in this work every
day.
a former teacher, a mother, and an author, I believe reading to kids is the
single greatest thing you can do to help them realize their full potential. I
am grateful for the teachers and librarians who are putting in this work every
day.
Be sure to check out all of the #cbadspotlight choices for this school year!
Visit classroombookaday.com for more information on #classroombookaday,
a goal to read aloud a picture book every day of the school year, at any grade,
inspired by Donalyn Miller’s #bookaday.
a goal to read aloud a picture book every day of the school year, at any grade,
inspired by Donalyn Miller’s #bookaday.
