LILLY AND MAY LEARN WHY MOM AND DAD WORK

A mother demystifies work and money for her daughters in Delauney’s picture book.

Young sisters Lilly and May are devastated each time their parents leave for work. When their dad drives off one day, their mom teaches them the importance of money and budgeting. The girls initially think money is boring but quickly become intrigued when their mom explains how it’s connected to every part of their lives. She explains how money pays for goods, private and public services, and future expenses. Then when she leaves for work, it’s time for the girls to show off what they’ve learned. Families looking for a simple, conventional explanation of the nation’s economic system will find this story helpful. It features Civati’s warm illustrations of a family whose members are shown as having a range of skin tones. The text is in rhyming couplets, which scan well most of the time, although the rhyming doesn’t add very much to the narrative. Aftermatter includes a 30-question worksheet asking readers to match items and people to four categories (things, jobs, taxes, savings); however, not all the questions’ answers are straightforward (for example, don’t jobs pay for taxes?), and they may confuse more discerning children.

A straightforward and practical economic primer for young readers.