You’re beautiful, worthy, and you should be loved Because of all that you are. Different from anything else in the world, You are precious beyond the stars.
How Much is a Little Girl Worth? is Rachael Denhollander’s tender hearted anthem to little girls everywhere, teaching them that they have immeasurable worth because they are made in the image of God. Armed with this understanding, girls will develop confidence in their own value and blossom into women who can face any challenge life puts in their path.
This powerful message, paired with vivid, glowing illustrations will make you want to snuggle up with your little girl and remind her of how precious and treasured she is.
Rachael Denhollander is an attorney, advocate, and educator who became known internationally as the first woman to file a police report and speak publicly against USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar, one of the most prolific sexual abusers in recorded history. As a result of her activism, over 250 women came forward as survivors of Nassar’s abuse, leading to his life imprisonment. Additionally, her courageous tenacity and ongoing advocacy helped trigger a complete upheaval at both USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University, where former executives and high-ranking officials face numerous criminal charges for their complicity in covering up Nassar’s abuse and lying about what they knew.
For her work as an advocate and educator on sexual assault, Rachael was named one of TIME Magazine’s “100 Most Influential People in the World” and one of Glamour Magazine’s “Women of the Year” in 2018. Additionally, she received the “Inspiration of the Year” award from Sports Illustrated, was a joint recipient of ESPN’s “Arthur Ashe Courage Award,” and was named a “Michiganian of the Year” by the Detroit News. She is the recipient of numerous other awards and recommendations, including the “CHILD Protector Award” from CHILD USA, the “Integrity and Impact Award” from Dow Jones Sports Intelligence, and HeartAmbassador’s “Lifetime Achievement Award for Contributing to Social Justice.”
Rachael has been recognized and honored in both the Kentucky and Michigan legislatures for her advocacy, and has been active in spearheading legislative reform at the state level. She has lectured and participated in live Q&A’s on the campus of numerous universities across the nation, including Harvard, Stanford, NYU, UC Berkeley, USC, and others. She continues to educate on issues of abuse through supporting and speaking at organizations that advocate for victims of sexual and domestic abuse, teaching at abuse prevention conferences, and helping companies and other institutions create safe environments for addressing abuse and harassment. A committed Christian, Rachael has also been at the forefront of condemning the problem of abuse that often plagues churches and religious organizations while working to address the underlying dynamics. Additionally, she was a panelist with a United Nations Peace Messenger Organization at the UN’s 62nd Commission on the Status of Women.
A member of the California Bar Association, Rachael has educated attorneys on the dynamics of sexual abuse at the American Bar Association’s Sports Law Forum, and was the commencement speaker at the graduation ceremony of Brandeis School of Law in Louisville, KY.
Prior to beginning her work as an advocate and educator, she worked in public policy, performed research and writing for human rights organizations, and spoke in a variety of capacities, including testifying before state judiciary committees. She has also taught in legislative action days, and authored and taught a summer camp course on appellate advocacy and judicial philosophy to talented high school students.
She has appeared on CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX News, BBC, NPR and regularly appears in national and international print media, including the Washington Post, Der Spiegel, Wall Street Journal, and the Associated Press, and is a New York Times and Vox op-ed contributor.
Rachael holds a Juris Doctorate from Oak Brook College of Law and possesses an honorary doctorate from the American University of Paris.
She, along with her husband Jacob, lives in Louisville, Kentucky with their four young children
What a wonderful kids book. As a father of two girls (and a boy), I've been wanting a book like this. Personally, I think it pairs well with the book God Made All of Me: A Book to Help Children Protect Their Bodies. The art is beautiful and my girls already love this book. I enjoyed how the books reflected girls of all types.
This book looks and feels like you're reading a lullaby, and a lullaby about the imago dei is one worth reading to children over and over again.
Side-note: I wish there was a companion book for boys, especially those who have endured abuse. This is not a criticism of this book. I love how this book solely focused on girls. Yet abused boys are often forgotten. I hope someone will write a book like this for boys.
UPDATE 9/6/19: The author has stated they are currently creating a book for boys.
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Second read: I noticed a bunch of little nuances I haven't noticed before. I also love how some sentences like "worth fighting for justice" will invite questions from children unfamiliar with certain words. It ends up being a good book to learn from and a good book to point to.
I've had my eye on this book for a little while and just snagged it free on Kindle.
I think Christians have historically had a hard time reconciling self-sacrifice with what, for lack of a better word, I will call self-esteem; where reconciliation is sought at all, and self-sacrifice isn't seen as the ultimate ideal while self-esteem is equated with selfishness. This balance is a particularly difficult one to strike if you're a woman. But of course, as GK Chesterton was fond of remarking, the Christian faith isn't so much about striking a happy medium between two extremes so much as pursuing both to the nth. We sacrifice ourselves for others because Jesus sacrificed for us; and his sacrifice for us tells us how dearly he values us. Those of us with the Gospel in our bones know that we are worth everything because we are made in God's image.
Rachael Denhollander's picture book has a lot to say and sometimes might come across more as a personal mission statement for herself than as an affirmation of worth in Christ for little girls, but that's to be expected from a poem she wrote in a moment of privacy to her own daughters. (And it's no bad thing: Denhollander is a hero of mine, and it's a privilege to read her words of love and protection for her daughters). By the end of the book, though, the focus is firmly on the audience and the deceptively simple words are deeply profound: we have infinite worth, and nothing can ever take that away from us, purely because we are made in the image of an infinite God and were given the infinite sacrifice. This is how self-sacrifice and self-esteem are reconciled in Christ - a pretty deep point for a picture book to make, and one that I almost wish there was a boys' version for as well - or best of all, a boys' and girls' version.
(Edited to add that apparently Rachael Denhollander is also writing a boys' edition, because she is the coolest.)
Short, sweet, and beautiful. This poem is not just for little girls, but for big girls, grown women, little boys, big boys, and grown men. Simply put, it's for all of us. "How Much Is a Little Girl Worth?" moved me to tears. It's packed with important truths about who we are because of Who created us and Who died for us. This book is a must for any child's bookshelf, and really any adult's too.
A friend posted a link to this free ebook. I am very interested in DenHollander’s What’s a Girl Worth and despite not having a young child to read this children’s book to, I decided I wanted to see what the author did with it.
It’s a positive, empowering picture book for females and one that I would have loved to have read to my daughter when she was a little girl. A lot of us were not taught some of the things mentioned in the book and while some other stories have subtle messages that suggest differently, DenHollander emphasizes the importance of girls having a voice. In simple rhyming statements, this necessary story reminds girls of all ages that we have value. It’s a message worth repeating.
I received an ARC of this story at BookCon . I think it is a story that all little girls will get a lot from ,actually maybe boys will learn something too .
This sweetly illustrated children's book poetically proclaims a profound truth that bears repeating for both readers, young and old. We are precious because we are His. Implanting this message in young hearts will serve them well for years to come. Rachel writes creatively and engagingly, so you will delight in reading it again and again to your little ones.
I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher.
I really enjoyed reading this to my daughter. It’s simple and sweet. Not deep theologically or overly mushy. It’s straightforward and very intentional to try and show a girl her worth and to find it in God. It’s told from the parent’s perspective to their daughter. I’m looking forward to the one they are writing for sons as well.
The children's book is for every girl and I truly believe for every woman. Its beautiful message is needed to be heard by us all.
My favorite quote from the book: "No one has power to change what God’s done, And He says you’re worth everything, even His Son. Worth all the pain, worth great sacrifice, Worth leaving heaven, worth giving His life"
The illustrations are beautiful and diverse. They'll make every little girl and big girl feel seen and included in this message.
I stumbled over this little picture book while investigating the author after her book, "What Is a Girl Worth?: My Story of Breaking the Silence and Exposing the Truth about Larry Nassar and USA Gymnastics" popped up on my Goodreads feed. My library only had it on audio, but it was so short I figured why not check it out, so I listened to it while eating breakfast.
Ironically, this tiny children's book is the perfect companion to the concept behind Denhllander's memoir because it's in this sweet and simple poem that we see what is in her heart that gave her the strength and the voice to speak up for the hundreds of girls being abused by Nassar and to fight for justice for them: Christ.
How much is a little girl worth? According to Denhollander, a little girl is worth everything because she is made in the image of God and He loved her so much that He sent His own Son to die for her. And that is a value that no one and nothing can ever take away.
I don't have children of my own, but if I did, this would be one of the first books I would want to get for them and read to them every night so that they might never forget their true worth.
This book has such an important message - little girls are worth so much, and not only to their parents but also to God. I loved this book. The message is simple enough for a small child to understand, but profound enough to bring tears to my eyes. It is also beautifully illustrated. It would make a wonderful gift for any little girl or parent of a daughter (not that boys couldn't also benefit from it, but it is written to girls).
For me, the book is worth obtaining simply for the author's letter to readers. Be sure to not pass that by when reading it. Here is a partial quote: "There are many voices competing to tell our daughters what they are worth, and most of them would teach our girls to define their value by something outside of themselves. By what they can do or what they wear or how they look or who their friends are."
I was once part of an unhealthy abusive church. They had numerous rules for females. Forbidden to wear make-up and jewelry, they also were never to cut their hair or wear pants. For school settings, children were not to wear gym clothing or attend dances. Their value and identity was tied in with how well they followed the rules and those who were caught breaking them might be reprimanded, shamed, removed from activities/positions, and even shunned. They caused some to not be able to participate in or pursue certain interests or careers. While some developed a prideful attitude because they could be picked out of a crowd due to these outward differences, others hated that they looked different.
The voices from this church group were instilling in young impressionable children that their value was intricately tied to following these mandates and that it fell upon them to keep males from lusting after them...even adult men. As one person recently shared regarding their childhood sexual abuse, her church leadership “made me take responsibility as if I was the one at fault." This book speaks out against such harmful messages to children and lets them know that their worth and value never rests upon such things. Indeed, a girl is "worth more than . . . protecting a name" or, I might add, a church/denomination.
The illustrations I found to be very pleasing and even soothing to the eyes. The pages are filled with color and illustrations of little girls in various settings. The messages contained therein are positive. Every child should feel and know that they are "worth fighting for" and that "nothing can make [them] worth less."
A beautiful and touching reminder of the value of each little girl (and woman).
From Rachael's letter to readers: "I believe one of the most important things we can do is stand against these voices that scream harmful messages into the ears of our little girls and instead whisper the truth to them over and over and over again."
How much is a little girl worth? This children’s book goes through the idea that a little girl is worth every sacrifice, changing laws, raising voices, and most importantly the sacrifice of Gods son, Jesus. This is such a good book. When I first read it, I realized Jesus himself feels this way towards us. That we are worth more than all of the stars, worth giving his life. I immediately got teary eyed reading it from that perspective. Now, every time I read this poem to my daughter, I am reminded that we are both loved so much by God and nothing or no one can change our worth because our worth is found in Christ. Every woman, children or no children, should take a moment to read this book and reflect on it.
This totally beautiful book is one to buy, purchase and give to everyone you know. I think every grandparent, parent and other relative to buy it to give to their friends or family with children. It is about little girls, but it is also about little boys. What is the value of a child? The beautiful pictures, art and different looks of each child will help anyone relate to the story and poem that you are loved, cherished and valued. You are not valued for what you do, but who you are. This valuable truth is something we should be reading to our children, and repeating every day.
I can’t recommend this book enough for little girls. I’d love to buy one for all the moms of little girls I know. This is a really special book written by a woman who has been an advocate of abuse victims. In a culture where girls are both sexualized AND judged, where their accomplishments or mistakes define them, where even someone else’s actions or behavior can make them feel less than, this book reminds them they are worth more than anything, regardless of any of that, because they are image-bearers of God. And I love that instead of just being a story about one girl, each page is illustrated with a different girl, with various shades and hues of hair, eyes, and skin. Beautiful book.
Rachael Denhollander is such an amazingly, well spoken young woman and has created a beautiful children's book that answers her infamous question from her victim impact statement during the Larry Nassar trial -- what is a little girl worth? The answer is everything. ♡
What a PRECIOUS book for little girls! It had me in tears. PLEASE read this to all of your little girls, and read it often. It is a beautiful reminder that your worth is grounded in God and that you are worth fighting for. Even we grown-up girls could stand to read this for ourselves. Thank you, Rachael!
I read this book with tears streaming down my face, wishing that these words of affirmation and empowerment had been instilled in me so explicitly as a child. It was strangely therapeutic to read them now as an adult and know that they are true. Girls are worth everything. Thank you, Rachel.
Also, the diverse and vibrant illustrations in What Is A Little Girl Worth were incredible. So thankful to see so many races and ethnicities represented! I hope every little girl grows up with this message of worth, value, and bravery ingrained in her.
**I was provided with a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
'How Much Is a Little Girl Worth?' by Rachael Denhollander is a book that needs to be read by every parent to their little girls. Little girls need to hear they are worth fighting for when they are wronged and cared for when they are abused. Across generations, little girls and women need to hear the message they have worth as those made in the image of God and redeemed by the blood of Christ. From the voice of Rachael Denhollander in this book, little girls will find their value in who they are.
I just read this beautiful poem. In just a few words, Rachael has spoken beauty and truth that are so necessary for every little girl, young lady and woman needs to hear. As I read these lines I was moved to tears knowing so many little girls have not heard these words spoken over them, they do not know their value in God's eyes and the redeeming power of his love. I cannot wait to read this book to my nieces and to my youth group. I will definitely be recommending as often as I can! Thank you Rachael for putting these words to paper and thanks to Morgan Huff for the beautiful illustrations.
What a delightful picture book for girls...young and not so young. I was happy to see that girls of various body shapes and different races were all highlighted in this book. The author comes from a background of being a victim of sexual abuse but I also see this book as a valuable asset to those working with young girls coming from broken homes, in foster care, or struggling with special needs. A great addition to my home library.
*I did receive an Advance Readers Copy in PDF format but the review is fully my own.
What a sweet poem! I love the message this sends: to the children who need to hear that they are loved no matter what; to the adults who needed to hear this message as children and still need to hear they are valued now and always; to the parents who love their children so dearly. It is a timeless poem of unconditional love.
*I received a free review copy, but my thoughts/opinions are my own.
This is a great message for all humans to hear, but as a woman, I found it really touched a deep place. I haven't suffered abuse, and I have generally had very little messaging that I don't have worth. Yet, still, I found myself tearing up at the message. I believe there is deep within women this tendency to doubt our worth and value. I'm not sure men have that same tendency...maybe... but even if I'm wrong about women doubting their value, there can be no dispute that our culture bombards girls and women with the need to be a certain "way" to find worth. Rachael has written a beautiful book that I hope gets read to every little girl.
This little book will be one I turn to again and again to read to little girls of friends and (hopefully) granddaughters. I can think of few messages as important than to repeat over and over that you are loved and you are valued just as you are.
This is a beautiful book for young girls! Our culture desperately needs us to raise our daughters with the idea that they are valuable and loved regardless of any accomplishments in their lives. The illustrations really draw you in, and the message is excellent.
Such a great story to read not only to little girls, but to boys as well. Little girls need to know how much they are worth and boys need to know it too. They are both created in God’s image and are worth so much.
Um livro que nos lembra de onde realmente reside o nosso valor. Uma história para ser apreciada por meninas, meninos e adultos neste mundo onde no meio de tanto caos às vezes nos esquecemos do quão valiosos somos.
Wow! This book is everything I’ve been looking for! To teach not only our girls, but our boys as well, how much they’re worth. I love how she ties in that the little girl’s worth comes from God. And that, no matter what happens to her during the day, it will never change her worth. Not only is the message wonderfully well written, the illustrations that go with it are beautiful as well!
I cannot wait to get my hands on more copies. This will be my go-to add on gift for baby showers as well!