Lilly and May Learn Why Mom and Dad Work, by Anthony C. Delauney, is a rhyming picture book about two young children who wonder why their parents have to work. Lilly and May, who are sisters, wake up on a typical day and watch as their dad heads off to his job. Through tears, they ask their mother why she and their father have to go to work. Their mother explains some of the many ways that money is both necessary and useful for their family. She covers everything from daily necessities to family vacations and even taxes. But she also explains that the love the parents have for their children is more important than money. Lily and May then understand the necessity of work and the importance of earning, spending, and saving money. The book concludes with an interactive matching game. The author says the book is for children in kindergarten through third grade. It is illustrated by Chiara Civati and is the second book that Delauney, who is a financial advisor, wrote in the Owning the Dash Kids’ Book series.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Lily and May Learn Why Mom and Dad Work by Anthony Delauney. The concept is sound; no doubt many children wonder why mom and dad have to go to work. The author is thorough in explaining the purpose of work, which makes the book very much a learning experience for children. But that doesn’t mean it’s not entertaining. The story is told in an engaging way and the fact that it’s a rhyming book adds to the fun too. What I liked best is that although the author writes about the importance of money, he makes it clear to children that love is more important. The interactive exercise at the end of the book is sure to keep children engaged and the illustrations by Chiara Civati are charming and fit the text perfectly. I wish this book had been available when my own children were young, and I highly recommend it to children everywhere, along with their parents and grandparents.

Lilly and May Learn Why Mom and Dad Work written by Anthony C. Delauney and illustrated by Chiara Civati is an educational addition to the Owning the Dash Kids’ Book collection. Sisters Lilly and May are sad when their mother and father depart for work in the mornings, and they ask their mother why this must happen. Their mother takes a few moments before she leaves for the day to explain why the family needs to earn money and what they use it for. Together, they learn the pieces of their family life that money supports—clothing, food, and home goods. Next, they learn about the professionals paid for services, such as doctors and stylists with regular funds, and emergency workers and librarians with taxes. Their mother also emphasizes the importance of the things that bring joy and cannot be bought with money and how their work helps other people too. As their mom leaves, she promises to be home again at the end of the day, and Lilly and May feel comforted.

Lilly and May Learn Why Mom and Dad Work is a great way to teach children about money and jobs. I appreciated Chiara Civati’s beautiful illustrations of people of varying ages, gender, and ethnicity working in a wide variety of careers. Children will surely see people like those in their own lives in the illustrations. Anthony C. Delauney’s rhymes explain work and payments in a way children can easily understand. I deeply appreciated the uplifting conclusion that brought the themes of love, community, and the important things in life to the forefront in a way that children can comprehend. For those hoping to go a little deeper with their small readers, a sorting activity with careers and buyable items is included at the end of the book.

Lilly and May Learn Why Mom and Dad Work by Anthony C. Delauney is an educational children’s picture book that shows how money plays a big role in everyone’s lives. Understanding money can be a difficult subject at a young age, and accepting that parents have to be away for the greater portion of the day can be upsetting to many children. This book helps young readers realize why their parents must go to work, how money is earned, and why we need it in our lives. This is a simple yet in-depth picture book that will help children appreciate the importance of money.

Lilly and May Learn Why Mom and Dad Work by Anthony C. Delauney is a fantastic children’s book concerning money. It discusses the significance of money and why parents choose to go to work to support the family. I liked the way this book highlighted all aspects of how money plays a role in everything we have and do. This book also explains in detail how money is needed in other areas outside of our homes, such as a doctor’s visit and paying taxes. The author even stressed the importance of saving money for rainy days, holidays, and retirement. The complicated concepts were simplified perfectly, making it straight to the point and simple for young readers. I also loved the addition of a worksheet at the end of the book which provided a fitting conclusion. I recommend this book for young readers.

Parents are the ones who are supposed to take care of their kids, right? But taking care of kids also means taking care of them financially by earning money to provide for them, giving them a place to live, food to eat, clothes to wear, water to drink, etc. In Lilly and May Learn Why Mom and Dad Work, by Anthony C. Delauney, two sisters discover why their parents leave them in someone else’s care every day. Lilly and May’s mom explains to them why working is important, not just for Lilly and May’s benefit but for everyone’s. Mom also tells them a little bit about another thing that grownups have to pay—taxes—and about how taxes help pay for other things, too.

Lilly and May Learn Why Mom and Dad Work is an educational picture book that answers a lot of questions that nearly every kid has—are water and electricity free? Who pays the policeman and fireman? And why can’t Mom and Dad just stay at home with me? Anthony C. Delauney does a great job of answering these questions and has not forgotten to mention the importance of saving money for goals and emergencies. He also emphasizes the most important thing: that making money is not the top priority for parents, but their children are. He includes a little bonus activity for kids—a fun money-matching game that helps them learn what kind of money (savings, taxes, etc.) goes where. Lilly and May Learn Why Mom and Dad Work is the second book in the Owning the Dash Kid’s Book financial series.