FICTION

M Is for Money: An Economics Alphabet

by Michael Shoulders
SHOULDERS, Debbie & . illus. by Marty Kelley. 32p. ebook available. Sleeping Bear. Aug. 2015. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9781585368174. LC 2015001546.
COPY ISBN
Gr 3–6—This picture book primer offers students a broad introduction to economics, but the alphabet approach is an imperfect format helped little by the illustrations. Content ranges from simple ideas such as "Loan," "Money," and "Spending" to harder concepts that include "Demand and Supply," "Goods and Services," "Needs and Wants" to much more difficult abstractions such as "Exchange Rate," "Yearly Economic Growth," and "Zero Profit Condition." The alphabetic sequence mixes up any logic that might build understanding among the various concepts, instead forcing readers to take each topic individually. The simple four-line poems contribute little besides conforming to the series format.
VERDICT This cursory introduction to the subject of economics is best suited for browsers.
Reviewed by Dorcas Hand, Annunciation Orthodox School, Houston, TX
"Z is for Zero Profit Condition." Singsongy rhyming couplets aimed at younger readers do little to illuminate complex concepts such as civilization, quota, and housing market. The more in-depth sidebars on each double-page spread offer better explanations, but older elementary-age readers may find the abecedarian format and cartoonish illustrations off-putting.
 , Aug 01, 2015

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