Spend It!

January 1, 2019
In Bunnyland, money matters get an early start.McLeod's Moneybunny series aims to teach young readers "a few simple facts about money." In this volume, the focus is on making choices about what to buy. Sonny, the young bunny protagonist, wants to buy everything, but he only gets 3 carrots a week as an allowance. (In keeping with the conventions of currency, McLeod uses numerals instead of spelling numbers out.) Sonny's mom, who dispenses wisdom while raking up a Technicolor pile of leaves, tells Sonny he is going to have to make choices because different things cost different amounts of carrots. That toy rocket costs 2 carrots, and the pogo stick costs 3 carrots, while the bouncy castle costs 100 (represented in a double-page spread of 100 carrots, arrayed in five rows of 20). ("That's RIDICULOUS!" cries Sonny.) His mom suggests he give it some thought, to which Sonny blurts the universal credo: "I don't want to THINK! I want to SPEND!" Good thing Sonny hasn't got a carrot credit card. So Sonny gets to thinking how to spend his carrots, and a supercritical lesson is learned: consider how and what you spend your money on. (Saving was tackled in Earn It, 2017.) The lesson goes down smoothly because it presents options for ways to satisfy the urge to spend--it also helps that Sonny is cute as a you-know-what.Financial planning never looked so good. (Picture book. 4-8)

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May 17, 2019

PreS-Gr 1-In this financial follow-up to Earn It!, Sonny earns three carrots every Saturday for his allowance. Sonny declares that he wants "to buy EVERYTHING," which includes a toy rocket, a pogo stick, and a bouncy castle. Sonny's mom is quick to point out that bunnies can't buy everything with three carrots, and that he is going to have to choose: "Making a choice helps you see what's really important to you." His mom explains how much each item costs, and reasons that Sonny already has "lots of toys." Ultimately, Sonny excitedly decides to buy the pogo stick for three carrots. The text is presented in a childlike, penciled handwriting, and the bright, energetic illustrations convey the action and add to the sense of story and character. VERDICT A welcome story about smart spending. Recommended for purchase for large picture book collections.-Brianne Colombo, Fairfield Free Public Library, NJ

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