Little Daymond Learns to Earn by Daymond John, Nicole Miles
Published by Random House Books for Young Readers on 2023
ISBN: 0593567277
Genres: Juvenile Fiction / Action & Adventure / General
Format: Picture Book Fiction
Source: MSL Book Review
Goodreads

Daymond John of Shark Tank fame has written a children’s picture book about entrepreneurship and financial literacy.The protagonist of the story, Little Daymond, doesn’t have enough pocket money to purchase a desired poster of a pop star at a street fair. With advice from his mother about earning more money (“Think about what you’re good at and how you can use that to solve a problem!”) and with help from his friends, Little Daymond comes up with a solution that enables him to earn the money for the poster. 

The illustrations are engaging, showing Little Daymond and his diverse group of friends having fun as they work together to solve the money problem. Most numerical sentences are illustrated in a way that makes the math accessible to younger readers. (If Little Daymond only has four dollars, he is shown with four one-dollar bills in his hand.) 

The back matter includes “Little Daymond’s Guide to Money” with a simplified five-step checklist for starting one’s own business  and “What is Money”, showing readers how they can use their money. In addition, there is a URL for education games and activities around financial literacy.

You are never too young to learn about how money works. Children can always use helpful books asking questions about earning money and what that money can buy, in (mostly) realistic situations.Sometimes the writing feels clumsy but the language and vocabulary is age appropriate to teach readers ages 4-8 about aspects of financial literacy. Recommended for collections where financial literacy picture books are desirable.