Pretty Penny Makes Ends Meet

K-Gr 3—The "Pretty Penny" series offers financial role modeling by young Penny and her pet pig, Iggy. In this entry, Grandma Bunny's budget is strained by home repairs. Penny wants to help, so she buys supplies, creates jewelry, and sells it to friends and neighbors. She explains how to calculate profit, then donates her earnings and her time to help Bunny fix the plumbing. On the one hand, the storytelling is clunky (this title does not stand alone well) and overly cutesy (there's an anthropomorphic pig in an otherwise realistic story). On the other hand, the book is unashamedly agenda-driven for a good cause: helping children develop a healthy relationship with money. The jewelry-making and shopping aspects may well serve as hooks, especially for girls, and Penny's empowered competence will be attractive to any child. Readers will come away with a clear understanding of how they can earn money, and Penny's noble motives serve to remove any taint of greed from the topic. Naive cartoon illustrations in candy-bright colors add to the cheerful atmosphere. Despite the book's weaknesses, the importance of the topic and the dearth of materials addressing it make this a useful addition for most libraries.—Heidi Estrin, Congregation B'nai Israel, Boca Raton, FL