MFDF Board Bookshelf: Sharing the Wealth, Investing Wisdom with Next Generation (Part 2)

Priceless Facts About Money. From the Beginning of Time to the Coins in your Couch.By Mellody Hobson. Illustrated by Caitlin Stevens. Candlewick Press. 2024.

Mellody Hobson, president and CEO Ariel Investments, recently released an illustrated children’s book on money. The book is geared toward school-age children but offers fascinating nuggets that would make for a great trivia night. Who knew that ancient Mayan civilizations used chocolate as a form of currency or that money did grow on trees? (Paper money was first created in China using bark from mulberry trees, Hobson writes). The book traces the earliest origins of money to what we have today using accessible language that should resonate with grade schoolers and up. Hobson uses humor with the interactions of her two characters Mellody and John to deliver facts and wisdom to help young readers understand the value of money. The book is beautifully illustrated and overall is an engaging introduction to finance for young readers.