Picture Book Review: Gunner Gets Stocks by Charlesa Flatten

Image description: Two parents stand on either side of a little kid. Dad has a on blue shorts and an orange t-shirt. He is white with light colored eyes, brown hair cut in a flattop and a mustache. He is wearing a baby in a baby carrier on his chest. Mom has a pink v-neck shirt and blue pants. She has a brown purse slung over her shoulder. Her skin is brown and her hair is shoulder length and brown. The child in front has a big smile on his face and is holding a pink piggy bank. Behind them is a set of double doors that leads outside to blue skies and green hills.

Gunner Gets Stocks by Charlesa Flatten, illustrated by Hailey Campbell

From Goodreads: Gunner Gets Stocks is the tale of a young man who filled his piggy bank with money he saved over time. Read along as Gunner learns about opening a brokerage account, dividends, and choosing companies to invest in.

It’s funny how sometimes the universe comes together in serendipitous ways. My older kiddo asked about a school in a strip mall not too far from our house and I had to explain non-profit versus for-profit schools. Since she’s only 10 and her experience with the business world is essentially non existent, it got a little hairy when I tried to explain how for-profit businesses can be owned. I came home to review this book and discovered it actually explains that aspect of business and the market very succinctly and clearly for children.

Most kids don’t get any kind of financial advice or education. Maybe a few “don’t get into credit card debt” lectures. And while plenty of children won’t buy stocks, Gunner Gets Stocks is a really solid book for opening conversations around financial literacy, how to save and invest money, and how the market works. I used it to help my kid understand the broader context of the school down the street from us.

The book walks you through Gunner choosing to invest his money, his parents explaining how stocks work, and helping him decide which stocks to buy. It’s certainly useful for parents who want their children to start thinking about investments, but the appeal can be broader. Parents who want their children to understand how businesses are funded and even help kids understand current events they may be hearing about that discuss the market.

This could easily pair with Landon’s Lemonade Stand to seed a collection about kids and money. Definitely recommended for individual families who want to foster financial literacy in their children, but also library collections that help parents who may need help finding these resources.

Purchase the book here (not affiliate links):

On Bookshop.org (support independent bookstores!): paperback, hardback

On Amazon: paperback, hardback

Final note: If you do purchase this book, please post a review of it on Amazon. This will help other folks find the book and know that it’s worth purchasing. If you use any other book services like GoodReads or your local library’s online catalog be sure to post a review there too! And if your local library doesn’t have a copy, request that they purchase one.