Bear Hugs Alum’s Books Show It’s Never Too Early to Teach Kids about Money In the ‘Little Economists’ series, Kelly Li ’07 offers child-friendly lessons on topics from stocks to credit cards “Bear Hugs” celebrates heartwarming stories of Cornellians on the Hill and around the world. Have an idea? Email us at cornellians@cornell.edu! By Melissa Newcomb Hank the Hamster, Ava the Dog, and Charlie the Bunny could be cute characters from just about any children’s book. But these critters have a serious mission: teaching kids about financial literacy. Engineering alum Kelly Li ’07 created the Little Economists book series to give families and educators an engaging way to help children ages 4–8 understand basic monetary concepts. There are seven books in the series, with more on the way. Most are titled with a question, like What Is a Credit Card?, What Is a Stock?, and What Is Inflation? Says Li: “Learning about finances and the economy shouldn’t feel like a task—if we can make it as fun as reading about puppies.” Now based in the Bay Area, the former computer science major previously worked at a quantitative trading firm in NYC. Learning about finances and the economy shouldn’t feel like a task—if we can make it as fun as reading about puppies. She was inspired to write the debut entry in the series, What Is Money?, after having her first child in 2020. Looking for books that explain financial topics to kids, she failed to find any on the market and decided to make her own—creating both the text and illustrations. (For the series, she spells her last name as “Lee.”) Each book follows the furry characters on an adventure, where they learn the importance of a different financial topic. In What Is Supply and Demand?, for example, Hank and Ava want a frozen treat on a hot summer day, so they go to Charlie’s bakery for ice cream. On arrival, they’re disappointed to find that—thanks to the economics concept of the title—the line is long and the offerings are pricey. Each book follows the furry characters on an adventure, where they learn the importance of a different financial topic. But on a return trip in the winter, they find an empty shop and the ice cream discounted by 50%—so they help Charlie create a warm marshmallow dessert to attract customers. “Parents tell me that after their kids read the books, they start to be more conscious of numbers and how much things cost,” Li says, “like asking about prices at the grocery store.” Snapping a selfie at Commencement. The books are available on the Little Economists website and on Amazon (in paperback, in hardcover, and on Kindle). According to Li, the series is used in numerous elementary schools in the U.S. and in Korea, where it’s a resource for teaching English as well as finance. Plus, she says, an overseas publisher has acquired the rights to translate the series into Traditional Chinese for distribution in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau. Li’s son displays a five-book collection at a school event. As the books continue to grow their youth audience, Li has been surprised to see that they also have grown-up fans: she regularly gets comments on her social media from adults who’ve found them illuminating. “I thought they’d be bored, because the books are for kids—but people tell me they get a lot out of them,” she says. “I’ve gotten comments like, ‘I didn’t know that a minimum credit card payment means I’m still getting charged interest.’” (All images provided.) Published March 20, 2025 Leave a Comment Cancel replyOnce your comment is approved, your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment * Name * Class Year Email * Save my name, email, and class year in this browser for the next time I comment. Δ Other stories You may like Alumni Barrier-Breaking Astronomer Graces a U.S. Quarter Alumni ‘Sheer Awe’: Recalling the Legendary Grateful Dead Concert of May ’77 Bear Hugs Generations Apart, Ice Dancers Are in Perfect Rhythm