LitPick Review
Gerald Ruhoy’s It’s Just a Penny is an informational text about American money. To begin, the reader is introduced to each type of coin and paper money, along with their values, various names, and the faces that can be found on them. The author then shows conversions for each bill of paper money to coins and smaller bills. The information is conveyed through stick figures and speech bubbles, as well as bullet points. The last page of the book is a brief quiz about the information provided throughout the text.
Opinion:
It’s Just a Penny serves as a wonderful tool to teach readers everything to know about American money. The content of the book is great for upper elementary students, but can certainly be used as a reference when introducing money to younger children. This would also serve as an excellent resource for English Language Learners of any age. While the illustrations alone may not be very appealing to younger readers, the cartoon style dialogue is likely to grab their attention. This style provides real life examples of spending money to relate to children who may be saving up money in their piggy bank or bank account. Additionally, the photographs of the money represented are clear, which is important for anyone who intends to learn the features of bills and coinage. The conversions, beginning with a 100 dollar bill down to one penny, are depicted concretely, and provide a fun way to understand the values and equivalents of various bills and coins. In case the reader wants a challenge, Ruhoy provides a short quiz at the end of the book. This informational text is great for making the American money system accessible to all.
