  | Full Text Reviews: School Library Journal - 03/01/2020 K-Gr 2—Birdie has her eye on an XR1000 Super Extreme soccer ball. But it costs $24.95, and she doesn't have the money. Fortunately, Birdie is a smart little girl and realizes she can make the money by going into sales. If only she could think of something she has that people need. Then she has a brilliant idea. She could sell dirt at a dirt cheap price: one bag for only 25 cents! It's not long after she purchases the ball that she realizes she has dug up her yard and doesn't have a place to kick it around. Once again, Birdie comes up with yet another creative idea. This is a clever and funny tale. The text is a dialogue between the narrator and Birdie, and the banter between the two is humorous and light. The illustrations are colorful and include oversize shapes and clean lines. Birdie is adorable with her large glasses, dirty overalls, yellow boots, and quick comebacks. Our heroine has a positive outlook and doesn't let things get her down. The book demonstrates how even a young child can be a great entrepreneur. Money math is incorporated into the story, which will help young children observe different ways to combine coins that will add up to 25 cents. VERDICT A light, fun, and educational tale that would work wonderfully as a two-voice read-aloud.—Barbara Spiri, Southborough Library, MA - Copyright 2020 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission. Booklist - 03/15/2020 Birdie wants the XR1000 Super Extreme Soccer Ball. She needs it. But where is she going to get $24.95? She tries a yard sale, but no one wants her used toys. She tries selling dirt at $25 a bag, but it’s overpriced. When she sells that topsoil for 25 cents a bag, though, the neighbors can’t buy it quickly enough. Soon she is the proud owner of the coveted soccer ball, but she realizes too late that she has left herself no yard to kick it in. Told in clever multi-font dialogue, with the narrator offering intelligent, reasonable suggestions, this is a terrific treatise for early financial literacy that subtly teaches about worth determination, pricing structures, coin values, marketing techniques, and the reward of hard work, all supported by a delightful story with a round-headed protagonist in amusingly huge, face-swallowing glasses and itty-bitty pigtails. It’s a treat to travel alongside the determined Birdie on her journey. A billion brilliance points to the design and production team as well for expertly debossing the title on the cover. - Copyright 2020 Booklist. Booklist - 03/15/2020 - Copyright 2020 Booklist. Loading...
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