Are you looking for kids books about money so you can begin teaching your children and students some critically important concepts —concepts that will stay with them as they grow? Look no further! We are thrilled to have Meghan Rabuse, from Family Finance Mom, guest posting today to give us some tips and stellar recommendations for kids books about money! I’ve been following Meghan’s new site since its inception, and I have to say, I love it. I have learned a tremendous amount from her in such a short time, especially when it comes to saving money (she has great trips for saving at the grocery store, no less!) and planning for retirement. Meghan is dynamic, incredibly bright, and I love how she is working to help families become more financially sound and savvy. We are so lucky to have her brilliance here on Happily Ever Elephants! With that, here’s Meghan!
At Family Finance Mom, I strive to help families improve their financial know-how and awareness so they can make better financial decisions. One of the most important of those decisions? Teaching and talking to our kids about money – which is something many of our parents never did for us. I love following Lauren here at Happily Ever Elephants because picture books are so much more than just entertainment for our kids. Storytelling is an incredibly powerful tool for learning and broaching hard topics with kids of all ages. If you aren’t sure how to start the conversation about money with your children, try starting with my 10 favorite books about money for kids.
4 Basic Elements To Teach Kids About Money
If your child is old enough to count, they are old enough to start to understand these basic concepts of money and finance. The level of complexity you delve into will increase as they grow, but I talk about these four basic elements of money for kids with my three (ages 7, 5 and 3) regularly already.
Things Cost Money
Kids are never too young to start understanding that everything we buy, consume and use, costs money. From the groceries in our refrigerator to the toys in their room, the roof over our heads to the clothes on their back, it all costs money.
An easy way to convey this? When they want something at the store, point out the price tag on the shelf. Make them look for it, and ask them how much it costs. Once they better understand this concept, you can leverage it to introduce the concept of needs vs. wants, and how these are prioritized in your own family finances.
Books About Money for Kids: Teaching children that things cost money
If you want four awesome kids books about money that help support this message, check these out!
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You Can’t Buy a Dinosaur with a Dime, by Harriet Ziefert
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A Chair for My Mother, by Vera B. Williams
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It’s Not Fair! A Book About Having Enough, by Caryn Rivadeneira
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Those Shoes, by Maribeth Boelts. For Happily Ever Elephants’ full review of Those Shoes, click here!
Money is Earned
Once your children grasp that everything costs money, it won’t be long before they ask you where money comes from. We are very forthcoming in talking to our kids about the fact that we work hard to earn money that provides them with everything we have.
You don’t have to go into specifics about exactly how much you earn, but it is important to convey that money is earned through work.
Books About Money for Kids: Money is Earned
My favorite books kids books about money that reinforce this concept?
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Lemonade in Winter: A Book About Two Kids Counting Money, by Emily Jenkins and G. Brian Karas
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If You Made a Million, by David M. Schwartz
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Earn It!, by Cinders McLeod.
The Power of Saving
It is never too early to teach your children the value and power of saving their money. Delayed gratification is a lesson nearly completely eliminated in our modern world of streaming, instant downloads and on-demand technology.
If there’s something your kids want, encourage them to put their money in a piggy bank and build enough savings to buy it on their own. You will be amazed at how much more thoughtful they will be with their own dollars and the choices they make when it takes them weeks or months to save the money. You can even incentivize their saving by offering to match it – much like banks offer us interest.
Books About Money for Kids: The Power of Saving
It is far better for kids to learn these lessons with $5-10 at age seven, than with thousands of dollars in their twenties. My favorite money books for kids on saving?
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Alexander, Who Used to Be Rich Last Sunday, by Judith Viorst
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If You Made a Million, by David M. Schwartz
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A Chair for My Mother, by Vera B. Williams
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You Can’t Buy a Dinosaur with a Dime, by Harriet Ziefert
The Importance of Generosity
You may recognize that several of the books on my list feature stories about families where money is scarce and funding even basic needs takes sacrifice, savings and time. No lesson about money for kids would ever be complete without a discussion of economic inequality.
Books About Money for Kids: The Importance of Generosity
Not every family is as well off as your own. There are children in the world who go to bed without dinner, without a bed of their own, and even some without homes or families. I talk to my kids every day about how fortunate we are, and the importance of giving back to those less fortunate than ourselves. Stories mentioned above that I love to share with children to encourage empathy and generosity include:
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A Chair for My Mother, by Vera B. Williams
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Those Shoes, by Maribeth Boelts.
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It’s Not Fair! A Book About Having Enough, by Caryn Rivadeneira
More Kids Books About Money
In addition to the books mentioned above, children also love learning about how money works and where it comes from. The Go-Around Dollar by Barbara Johnston Adams and One Proud Penny by Randy Siegel often wow kids by demonstrating just how widely a single dollar or penny can circulate and travel. Both books also give awesome insights into the mint process in our country and the laws surrounding how money is physically produced.
If You Made a Million by David M. Schwartz takes this even a step further, introducing kids to the concept of interest, compounding and banks. This book holds a special place in my heart as my first real introduction to the world of finance, that ultimately became my career.
For more insights on how to talk to your kids about money, check out Meghan’s other posts on Finance for Kids: 4 Simple Money Lessons All Kids Should Know and Teaching Money to Kids: 20+ Ways to Play and Learn with Coins.
If you would like to be more informed about your own family finances through reading, check out Meghan’s latest post: 20+ Best Books About Finance and learn how you can participate in her Family Finance Mom Book Club on Instagram!
And if you liked this list, make sure to check out these other lists right here on Happily Ever Elephants!
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About Meghan: Meghan has a degree in Finance and Business Economics from the University of Notre Dame. She spent nearly a decade as a Financial Analyst on Wall Street and with hedge funds, before spending the last 7+ as a SAHM to three little ones. She shares simple money tips for moms to help your family reach your financial goals by building a financial plan you can LIVE with! You can learn more about her background in finance, catch her daily on Instagram and Facebook, and her weekly discussions in her community for Family Finance Moms.
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