3 out of 4 stars
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Five Brave Women by Ann Miller tells the story of the daughters of Zelophehad. These young women were descendants of Joseph, and they stood up for their rights when Moses was distributing land to the people of Israel. Because their father had passed away without having sons, Moses did not give their family an inheritance. The daughters told Moses that this was unfair, and they paved the way for a new law that allowed daughters to inherit their fathers’ property.
Miller does a wonderful job explaining the backstory of Zelophehad and his daughters in enough detail to put the story in context but simply enough for children to understand. The illustrations by Steve Pileggi bring the story to life through colorful renditions of the characters and environment. They should help children connect to the daughters even though they may have unfamiliar names.
I also enjoyed how the author emphasizes that trusting in God means trusting Him to support you when you stand up for yourself. When injustice occurred, the daughters did not assume that was God’s will; they asked their leader to consider if he was following God or just tradition. I think this is an important lesson to teach young women.
Unfortunately, there were many grammatical errors that detracted from this story. I found typos, missing and extra punctuation, and run-on sentences throughout the text. I think it’s especially important for children’s books to have proper grammar and spelling since children will be learning to read and write from these books.
Due to these errors, I have to award this book only 3 out of 4 stars. The illustrations and message are wonderful for children ages 4-10, and their families will also enjoy this reminder of the five young women who had the courage to stand up for themselves.
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Five Brave Women
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