Stories of Value: The Nature of Money in Three Classic British Picture Books

Much of the literature on children’s economic socialisation focuses on exploring three questions: at what point do children acquire a “good grasp of economic reality,” do they become “responsible economic agents,” and do they need to be considered “economically literate” (Furnham, 2014, p. 118)? These concerns often imply a pragmatic understanding of money as a quantitative commodity that facilitates transaction, accounting, and the storing of value (Belk & Wallendorf, 1990). Yet they also imply an appreciation of what is considered to be ‘literate’ and ‘responsible’ behaviour, supposedly informed by a ‘good grasp’ of ‘reality’. Finally, it assumes unproblematic knowledge of what is ‘valuable.