A funny, philosophical look at the universal subject of money by award-winning non-fiction writer Martin Jenkins, illustrated by Satoshi Kitamura. In the Yap Islands in the South Pacific money can be a stone with a hole in the middle. It can be a string of shells, a bundle of cloth or a copper slab. It's the stuff that makes the world go round and doesn't grow on trees. In this fascinating and thought-provoking book, Martin Jenkins explores the history of money from its earliest beginnings to the electronic banking of today. Along the way we learn about hunter gatherers, barter, clay tablets, goat swapping, precious metals, hard bargains, IOUs, interest, coins, Romans, taxes, inflation, paper money, currencies and exchange rates. Satoshi Kitamura's quirky, satirical drawings perfectly complement the dry humour of the text and in the end we are reminded that money only exists because we believe in it. "Jenkins is bold, informative and never patronising." - Independent on Sunday

 

This book has been graded for interest at 9-12 years.

There are 112 pages in this book. This book was published 2019 by Walker Books Ltd .

Satoshi Kitamura is a Japanese children's picture book author and illustrator, famous for his watercolours and quirky characters. Martin Jenkins is an environmental consultant. He has been involved as writer and/or adviser in the production of many technical books on conservation matters, as well as the Walker non-fiction titles Fly Traps! Plants that Bite Back, runner-up for the 1996 TES Junior Information Book Award; and The Emperor's Egg, Winner of the