It was then my daughter’s first summer vacation after graduation in elementary. Over lunch I was mentioning to her the articles I was planning to post at one of my blogs – www.MuslimandMoney.com – and also the book – ‘Muslim Couple and Money’ – I was currently writing then.

Curious enough, she asked, “Papa, do you have also plan to write ‘Muslim Kid and Money’ for us youngsters?”

Almost spontaneously, I replied, “Yes, I also want to… Can you help me in this project?”

“How?”

“In your spare time, read short stories and then select 12 stories you like most. And then I am going to edit the stories and give some annotations or explanations.”

“How should I select?”

“Do you mean the criteria for selection?”

“Yes.”

“You select the 12 stories whose moral lessons in personal financial literary and behavioral economics you like most.”

“Papa, what do you mean by ‘behavioral economics’?”

(Expectedly, she no longer asked about personal finance or financial literacy, as she has already some ideas about it due to our many earlier conversations – especially during meals.)

“Behavioral economics is simply a method of economic analysis that applies psychological insights why people make economic decisions – buying, selling, consuming products and services, etc. – the way they do.”

“Okay!”

Fast forward: the book in your hand is the said father-daughter joint project.

Why did I write this book, by the way?

I wrote this book because:

• Financial literacy must begin at childhood.
• Financial literacy is something that children do not learn in school, do they?
• Storytelling is one of the best ways to impart moral lessons to children. And who don’t want to be told by mother wonderful stories during bedtime?

So, is there any better way to impart this learning to our children than storytelling?

At the end of each story, there is a concise explanation of financial lessons the young reader can learn.

Among these lessons are:

• The importance of right attitude in assuring one’s financial success;
• How to manage expending;
• How much you save is not that important, but rather the cultivation of the habit of saving;
• It is not enough that extra money is saved; it must be invested as well;
• The greatest investment is investment in one’s own self – how to make yourself more productive and profitable.

Is the book solely intended for Muslim kids?

No.

The stories will be interesting not only to Muslim but also non-Muslim kids as well. It is “for Muslim kids” simply because most of the stories are in a Muslim cultural setting, but the moral lessons imparted in each story is universal and beneficial to all youngsters irrespective of religious affiliations or ideological persuasions.

In order to attract the attention and interest of the intended readers, this book uses children-friendly fonts and is written in an easy-to-understand language.

If you want your kid to be financial responsible someday, what are you waiting for?

Grab your copy of the book NOW!