Lemonade in Winter by Emily Jenkins, illustrated by G. Brian Karas (Schwartz and Wade, 2012) is a clever story to teach about money. A brother and a sister have decided to have a neighborhood lemonade stand, despite the fact that it is the middle of winter and snow covers the ground. Their parents suggest they won’t have much luck in making money, but the kids are determined.
By the end, the kids figure out that they have spent more quarters than they have earned, but the fun they had was worth it, plus they can still buy themselves popsicles. The subtitle is “A Book about Two Kids Counting Money,” and the lesson on quarters and earning money is not subtle. But plenty about the book draws kids in to it, from the chanted refrain to the kid-like ink and pencil illustrations to the anticipation of success with every neighbor’s purchase.
Kid thoughts (age 5): He liked it.
