You can't buy a dinosaur with a dime Problem solving in dollars and cents

Gr 1-3-"Clink. Clink. Clink. Clink. Clink, clink, clinkity! Money saved in a bank makes your brain think-thinkity!" Pete's saving his coins in a jar. He's got 10 quarters, 7 dimes, and 6 nickels that he sets out before him on a table, so that he (and readers) can easily count them. His total comes to $3.50. He wants to buy a toy and finds a dinosaur that costs $3 plus 20 cents tax. He returns home happy with his purchase, but saddened to realize that his bank is almost empty until his dad tells him he can earn more money by cleaning the yard and his mother gives him his allowance. This simple introduction to adding and subtracting small amounts of money will delight and inform young readers. The rhyming story covers the math as well as the concepts of earning, saving, and spending. A concluding section called "More Stuff" wraps up the book nicely with information about coin rubbings, ways to earn money, charitable giving, and a host of fun facts (like the origins of the name "piggy bank"). Bright cartoon art adds to the enjoyment. Ziefert and Haley know exactly how to make learning fun.-Leslie Barban, Richland County Public Library, Columbia, SC (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Ziefert offers a tale about saving, spending, and saving again. Pete is a young boy who likes to save his money. An empty jar bank makes him sad. In rhyming verse, Ziefert tells how Pete spends his savings on a toy dinosaur, then must do work around the house to earn more money. Readers are encouraged to participate by counting their own savings and telling how they have earned and spent it. "Money Fun" and "Money Facts" sections add ways to extend learning. Haley's colorful cartoons nicely illustrate the work that Pete must do in order to earn his money, and the fact that items in the store have price tags that show the amount of money needed to purchase them. Children who have learned the value of money and how to add coins will be able to put their skills to use as Pete displays and counts his coins. Not for beginning savers or spenders. (Picture book. 5-9) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.