A kid-friendly introduction to the basics of financial literacy.
This illustrated book for children aged 6 to 10 explains what money is for, why it’s important, and how to handle it.
At the City Market in Savannah, Georgia, two African-American girls, Jai and Kara, are dancing along to the beat of nearby African drummers when the rhythm suddenly changes. Jai’s father quotes an African proverb that gives this book its title: “When the rhythm of the drum beat changes, the dance steps must adapt.” When Jai’s dad gives her $10 to tip the drummers, a conversation arises about money and how kids adapt to their new responsibilities. He takes Jai to meet Jamila Harris, his financial adviser—someone who “helps you decide what to do with the rest of your money” after you “pay for your basic living expenses.” Jamila says that money is used to pay for goods and services, and can be in cash or “stored in computers like credit cards.” When Jai gets some money, Jamila suggests, she should save half and use the rest for fun or to help others. She could also consider starting a business, such as a lemonade stand, to earn more money, the adviser says; Jai’s father says that he’ll help her set up a savings account. In time, Jai will learn about debt, investment, and taxes. The book closes with motivational quotations. Co-author Milton D. Jones (Don’t Be a Happy Meal for the Banks, 2017) is a debt-relief attorney, which gives him an informed perspective. With debut co-author Amber P. Jones, his daughter, he stresses that parental involvement is important. They recommend reading the book aloud, and Jai’s father effectively models some examples of assistance; for example, he makes saving more appealing by giving Jai a beautifully decorated jar as her first piggy bank. Overall, the information provided here will give young kids a good start. However, it may be a little simplistic for older children. The cartoonish, full-color digital illustrations have rather flat, geometric backgrounds and reuse some images, but they do capture some of the City Market’s bustle.
A kid-friendly introduction to the basics of financial literacy.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: FB2B Publishing
Review Posted Online: July 2, 2019
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Cookie-cutter predictability.
After all the daring escapes in the How To Catch… series, will the kids be able to catch Santa?
Oddly, previous installments saw the children trying (and failing) to catch an elf and a reindeer, but both are easily captured in this story. Santa, however, is slippery. Tempted but not fooled by poinsettias, a good book (attached to a slingshot armed with a teddy bear projectile), and, of course, milk and cookies, Santa foils every plan. The hero in a red suit has a job to do. Presents must be placed, and lists must be checked. He has no time for traps and foolery (except if you’re the elf, who falls for every one of them). Luckily, Santa helps the little rascal escape each time. Little is new here—the kids resort to similar snares found in previous works: netting, lures, and technological wonders such as the Santa Catcher 5000. Although the rhythm falters quite a bit (“How did we get out you ask? / It looked like we were done for. / Santa’s magic is very real, / and I cannot reveal more”), fans of the series may not mind. Santa and Christmas just might be enough to overcome the flaws. Santa and the elf are light-skinned, one of the children is brown-skinned, and the other presents as Asian. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Cookie-cutter predictability. (Picture book. 3-6)Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2023
ISBN: 9781728274270
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Sourcebooks Wonderland
Review Posted Online: Aug. 15, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Readers can still rely on this series to bring laughs.
The Heffley family’s house undergoes a disastrous attempt at home improvement.
When Great Aunt Reba dies, she leaves some money to the family. Greg’s mom calls a family meeting to determine what to do with their share, proposing home improvements and then overruling the family’s cartoonish wish lists and instead pushing for an addition to the kitchen. Before bringing in the construction crew, the Heffleys attempt to do minor maintenance and repairs themselves—during which Greg fails at the work in various slapstick scenes. Once the professionals are brought in, the problems keep getting worse: angry neighbors, terrifying problems in walls, and—most serious—civil permitting issues that put the kibosh on what work’s been done. Left with only enough inheritance to patch and repair the exterior of the house—and with the school’s dismal standardized test scores as a final straw—Greg’s mom steers the family toward moving, opening up house-hunting and house-selling storylines (and devastating loyal Rowley, who doesn’t want to lose his best friend). While Greg’s positive about the move, he’s not completely uncaring about Rowley’s action. (And of course, Greg himself is not as unaffected as he wishes.) The gags include effectively placed callbacks to seemingly incidental events (the “stress lizard” brought in on testing day is particularly funny) and a lampoon of after-school-special–style problem books. Just when it seems that the Heffleys really will move, a new sequence of chaotic trouble and property destruction heralds a return to the status quo. Whew.
Readers can still rely on this series to bring laughs. (Graphic/fiction hybrid. 8-12)Pub Date: Nov. 5, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-4197-3903-3
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Amulet/Abrams
Review Posted Online: Nov. 18, 2019
SEEN & HEARD
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