Where Does Money Come From?
In book one of a series, Money Matters for Children, young children are introduced to the interconnected world of money. The book begins with a child asking a simple question, “Where do we get money?” “From our parents!” responds his friend, but it is not that simple. Through a series of spreads, readers learn how money is generated. One dad gets money from his income at the store. The store gets revenue from shoppers. The farmer earns money by selling his bananas to the store. A garment maker gets income from the designer who sells her swimsuits to the store. The swim instructor earns income from teaching people how to swim, and on it goes. Children quickly learn the many connections of the financial world. This is a worthy lesson to teach young children, perfect for a classroom or family discussion about savings and allowance.
In each spread, children and an adult appear in a cloud looking down on a scene depicting the flow of money as described by the adult. Because of its design, the book feels didactic, for use as a conversation starter or in an instructional setting, not exactly a cozy story around which to gather the children. While the story has a logical flow, the dialog presented in cartoon bubbles leaves much to be desired. Illustrator Raymond Reyes is to be commended for such a multiethnic cast of characters, though some might be offended by the slanted-eyed characters. The depiction of various occupations of the parents is refreshing; typical medical or legal occupations are not represented.
Where Does Money Come From? is a brief book that attempts to cover a lot of ground: occupations, city taxes, the trade of goods and services. In fourteen pages, it only scratches the surface of each of these topics, leaving readers to supplement with other resources. Perhaps Williams will expand on these topics in future books in the series; the idea is a good one and comes at a time when families are having financial discussions with children. The penultimate double spread is of a busy city street with lots of adults busy at various forms of work and asks readers: “What items do you see? How do you think they came to be? Are they free?”, important questions for today’s children.
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Star Count | 2.5/5 |
Format | Trade |
Page Count | 14 pages |
Publisher | Trafford Publishing |
Publish Date | 01-Jul-2013 |
ISBN | 9781490705514 |
Bookshop.org | Buy this Book |
Issue | January 2014 |
Category | Children's |
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