THE INVESTMENT ADVENTURE

In Abreu’s picture book, a bunny teaches her town’s residents about the value of investment.

Life in the village of Valentín is pleasant until pink bunny Lily discovers a sudden shortage of carrots. Distraught, she runs to the library to research the problem and accidentally picks up a book about investing with a gardening-themed title: “To invest, the book said, means to give something—your time, your energy, or even your coins—so that something new can grow.” Lily is enchanted and sets out to ask her village elders, all humans with pale skin, to contribute toward the costs of starting a new carrot garden. People pitch in joyously, creating signs, digging holes, and planting seeds. Worryingly, the plants don’t grow right away, but with additional care and attention under Lily’s encouraging tutelage, the townspeople create a successful garden they can expand into a farm, a town, and more. This follow-up to Abreu’s The Great Money Adventure (2024) offers a solid introduction to the basic investment ideas and the many forms it can take. It’s unclear why Lily is the only bunny in a town full of humans, but her enthusiasm and perseverance effectively carry the story. Gamal’s large, simple cartoon illustrations emphasize the basic nature of the concepts without condescending to its young audience.

A good introduction to a core financial principle for children.