Brave Cloelia: Retold from the Account in The History of Early Rome by the Roman Historian Titus Livius

I liked this book mostly because it is one of the few books on the Etruscans and early Romans out there that is written for small children. The story itself is somewhat average but it's a great supplement to a history timeline.

I love books and reading book reviews before I read books. I hate writing book reviews, but do it on a "good citizenship" basis and so here it is.Good things:This is a retelling of an actual historical event "Retold from the account in The History of Early Rome by the Roman historian Titus Livius" This in itself makes it worthwhile because it's not so much fiction as historical. (We have an older copy and the subtitle isn't there--it was in wee little print on the one of the coverpages. A smart move to put it right there for the world to see!)The story of Cloelia and her bravery that resulted in the first ever bronze commemorative honor statue dedicated to a female in Roman society -- a child, no less.A seamless weaving of everyday cultural facts about the Etruscans and the Romans.Illustrations don't just complement the story, which would be wonderful enough, you can learn more by closely observing them. This is especially true for parents reading the book that might have some minor knowledge on Roman customs and be able to point things out to the children.

One of my childrens' favorite books. I first read it to them at ages 5 and 7 and now they read it themselves at 8 and 10. It's one I often find sitting around the house, having been pulled off the shelf for another read. Rich illustrations and an engaging story, with nice endpapers.