Children’s Literature for Teaching Economics
by
Children’s And Young Adult Books
Adil, J. R. (2006). Goods and services. Mankato, MN: Capstone Press.
Picture book, lower elementary level. The text explains examples of goods and services and clarifies the difference between goods and services. It briefly describes government services, such as fire and police protection, recreation at parks, and opportunities to use public libraries and schools. The text introduces the concepts of producers (who sell goods and services) and consumers (who purchase goods and services) and how producers earn income by selling their goods and services and use their income to purchase goods and services.
Cronin, D. (2000). Click, clack, moo: Cows that type. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.
Picture book, elementary level. The book can be used to discuss the concepts of needs versus wants. It also serves as a humorous example of how workers negotiate for better “working” conditions with their employers. The cows find a typewriter and type a note to Farmer Brown requesting electric blankets to keep them warm at night. Farmer Brown refuses the request, so the cows go on strike and refuse to give any milk. This leads to demands from the hens and finally, the ducks. Farmer Brown needs to decide if he will give in to the demands in order to provide the goods he needs from the farm animals.
dePaola, T. (1973). Charlie needs a cloak. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.
Picture book, lower elementary level. The book illustrates the production of a winter cloak, from shearing wool from sheep, to washing, carding, and spinning the wool into yarn, to dying and weaving the yarn into cloth, to sewing the wool cloth into a cloak. The book can be used to discuss the concept of production of goods.
dePaola, T. (1978). The popcorn book. New York: Holiday House.
Picture book, lower elementary level. The text provides a history of popcorn, where it has been found in the world, and how it has been prepared and eaten by Native people in the Americas who introduce it to the colonists. It describes the demand for and consumption of popcorn by people in the U.S. and explains why popcorn pops when heated. The text can be used to discuss the production of a popular food.
Gibbons, G. (1983). New road! New York: HarperTrophy.
Picture book, elementary level. The text illustrates the various workers with specialized jobs who are involved in building a new road. Planners, surveyors, drafters (draftsmen), contractors, and workers are all involved in planning and building a road. The text also illustrates different types of roads which existed from 300 B.C. to now.
Gibbons, G. (1984). Department store. New York: HarperTrophy.
Picture book, lower elementary level. The text illustrates the various workers with specialized jobs who run department stores. Salespeople, cashiers, department managers, display artists, truck drivers, credit department workers, customer service department workers, and buyers work together to provide the services customers expect from department stores. The end of the text explains the historical development of department stores.
Goodman, S. E. (2006). All in just one cookie. New York: Greenwillow.
Picture book, elementary level. The text explains where the ingredients for chocolate chip cookies come from. Butter comes from Vermont cows, sugar originates from sugarcane grown in Hawaii, vanilla comes from vanilla vines grown in Madagascar, New Hampshire hens lay the needed eggs, salt comes from the Pacific Ocean, baking soda originates in the mineral trona from the deserts in Wyoming, Kansas farmers harvest wheat to make flour, and chocolate chips come from cocoa beans grown on cocoa trees in West Africa, Indonesia, Ecuador, and the Dominican Republic. The text can be used to discuss the sources for raw materials to create a product (chocolate chip cookies) and which raw materials are produced in the U.S. and which must be imported from other countries.
Lauffer, P. (2000). Made in Mexico. Washington, DC: National Geographic Society.
Picture book, elementary level. The text explains the production of “the best guitars in Mexico,” which are made in the small village of Paracho. It also clarifies that the income from the sales of these guitars allows the village people to escape the poverty of many Mexican villages. The book can be used to discuss the economic concepts of the production of goods and the income generated from the sale of these goods.
Lewin, T. (1996). Market! New York: HarperTrophy.
Picture book, elementary level. The text illustrates different types of markets around the world, from Ecuador to Nepal to Ireland to Uganda to the Fulton Fish Market in New York City (in the US) to Morocco. Sellers bring various products to sell at markets including food, clothing, tools, pots, pottery, carpets, carvings, horses, and folk medicines. The text also depicts the bargaining process between buyers and sellers often used at markets. The book can be used to discuss the economic concepts of various goods from around the world which are sold at markets and how buyers and sellers negotiate for the best price.
Madigral, A. H. (1999). Erandi’s braids. New York: Puffin Books.
Picture book, elementary level. The text can be used to address the concepts of wants, needs, and different ways to obtain the money needed to purchase wants and needs. Erandi’s mother needs a new fishing net, while Erandi wants a new dress and doll for her birthday. Erandi’s mother decides to sell her hair to obtain the money needed for the new net, but it is not long enough. However, Erandi’s hair is long enough to sell. This is a difficult decision for Erandi and her mother to make, but the money they earn from Erandi’s hair, pays for a new net and a doll.
Ring, S. (2003). Needs and wants. Mankato, MN: Yellow Umbrella Books.
Picture book, lower elementary level. The text is an excellent resource for introducing the differences between wants and needs for young students. It clarifies different needs such as homes, clothes, and food and why these goods are needs. It also explains goods people want or choose to have, but do not need, such as ice cream, balls, and bikes.
Tabor, N. M. G. (1996). A Taste of the Mexican market. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge.
Picture book, elementary level. This bilingual Spanish/English text illustrates the many fruits, vegetables, nuts, cheeses, meats, seafood, beans, desserts, clothing, household items (blankets and baskets), and pinatas which are available from markets in Mexico. The text can be used to discuss the economic concept of goods and how they are sold to customers at markets.
Audiovisual Resources
Geefay, D. (Production Coordinator) & Geefay, E. (Director). (2001). How our economy works: All about earning and spending money [DVD]. (Available from 100% Educational Videos, P O Box 440 El Dorado Hills, CA 95761-0018).
This 18-minute video explains such economic concepts as needs, wants, goods, services, consumers, producers, scarcity, and savings in a child-friendly style. Children are the main characters and dramatize a family making a decision about purchasing either a new car, refrigerator or a big-screen television and a child making a decision about purchasing the best bike helmet. The child considers the helmets’ fit, appearance, and cost. Children also dramatize a family saving money to purchase their child’s birthday present as well as a child putting money in the bank, a safe place to save her money. The final scene is a quiz game which reviews the main concepts and ideas. The DVD assumes families have enough money to purchase basic needs as well as some of their wants and children have money to spend and save.