The Story of Money

March 1, 1993
Gr. 2-4. The ancient Sumerians invented the idea of making money from precious metal; Ethiopians accepted salt as money; and Yap islanders used round stones, some as large as 12 feet across. These are but a few of the intriguing facts in this nicely orchestrated balance of art and information. Clear, direct text outlines global economic development, zeroing in briefly on the evolution of America's monetary system. Sweeping double-page spreads and smaller paintings add a sense of story to the facts, and there are plenty of finely detailed pictures of money to inspect--a Spanish piece of eight, an English 10-pound note, a Chinese coin with a square hole in its center. The book's final roundup of curious facts will be fun to browse. As it has good potential for classroom use, this is well worth attention. ((Reviewed Mar. 1, 1993))(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 1993, American Library Association.)