MONEY AS YOU GROW BOOK CLUB

Parent reading guide for 

“The Purse” by Kathy Caple

 Ages 4+

Consumer Financial

Protection Bureau
1 MONEY AS YOU GROW BOOK CLUB | The Purse

Welcome

This guide will help you teach your child money management 

skills while reading “The Purse” by Kathy Caple. It will 

accomplish this by:

 Helping you explain the key ideas covered in the book, and 

then providing you with signs your child understands the key 

ideas and can use them in daily life. 

 Giving you things to think about before reading the book 

with your child. These can help you spot key points in the 

book or spark ideas to discuss later.

Helping you prepare for an enjoyable reading time with 

your child.

 Providing questions to talk about with your child.

 Suggesting activities that help your child put ideas and 

lessons into action.

Parent reading guide | Ages 4+
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The story

Katie loves the noise her savings make in her BandAid box. She spends her savings on a new purse 

and throws away her Band-Aid box. Now she has 

no noise and no money.
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 Key ideas

By the time you finish this discussion guide, your child will be 

able to point to examples of these key ideas in the book you 

read and discuss real-life examples, too. Use these definitions to 

explain the ideas. We’ve also included ways children can show 

they are ready to use them in their daily lives.

1. Solving problems

When problems come up, we try to deal with them. Solving 

problems means finding what works best for us and taking 

action to make things better. 

How kids show it: They can describe problems and come up 

with a few ideas to make things better.

2. Setting goals

A goal is something you want to do or to have. When you set 

a goal, you make a plan to reach it by a certain time. You then 

follow the plan until you succeed. Reaching a goal feels good. 

Celebrate your success and the successes of others.

How kids show it: They can follow a multi-step plan to reach a 

goal (with a little help and encouragement).
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3. Saving

Some things cost more money than we have at one time. Saving 

means putting some money aside until we have enough to buy 

what we want.

How kids show it: They keep money in a safe place and keep 

track of amount saved for future spending. (Ages 7+) They can 

explain why money saved in a bank or credit union is still a 

personal belonging.

4. Staying true to yourself

Sometimes we might feel left out if we don’t have what other 

people have. Knowing what’s important to you and not comparing 

yourself to others can help you feel good about your decisions.

How kids show it: They can name one special thing they like 

about themselves and one thing that makes each family member 

special too. (Ages 7+) They can discuss why it’s okay that 

different people use their money for different things.
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 Something to think about

First, read the book yourself and think about these ideas:

§ Katie saved her money in a Band-Aid box.

§ She liked the sound the coins made when she shook the box. 

Katie’s sister said that keeping money in a Band-Aid box was 

for babies so Katie bought a purse.

§ Now she has a purse but no money to put in it. She solved the 

problem by earning money.

§ Even when Katie earned and saved money, she still had 

a problem. 

§ Katie knew what was important to her. She knew she needed 

another Band-Aid box.

BANDAGES

BANDAGES
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Before you read

Read the book first yourself. Knowing the story will help you know 

what comes next. It is important to ask your child questions about 

the story as you read. Ask what might happen next in the story.

§ Choose a quiet time for stories and make it part of your 

daily routine. 

§ Find a cozy, quiet place to read. 

§ Make sure your child can see the pictures. 

§ Talk about the pictures and characters in the book.

§ Read with expression in your voice. Give each character 

in the story his or her own voice. 

§ Keep the story time short enough to leave them wanting more.

§ Look for ways during the day to bring up the messages in 

the story.

§ Continue to read aloud together even if your child can 

read alone.
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 Something to talk about

Before you begin to read the story with your child, look at the 

cover of the book together. Ask what the story might be about.

As you read the story with your child, talk about these ideas:

§ Why did Katie buy a new purse? How much did it cost?

§ Why did Katie miss her Band-Aid box?

§ How did Katie get money to put in her purse? How much 

money did Katie make from her jobs? What was Katie’s goal?

§ What could your child do to earn money?

§ For what would your child like to save money?

§ Did Katie’s money from the jobs make her feel better about 

her new purse?

§ When Katie met her goal, she had a new problem. What was 

it? What was important to Katie?
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 Something to do

Coin grab bag Ages 4+

This activity will help your child learn that coins come in 

different sizes. 

For this game, you will need a small paper bag and a collection 

of different coins. (Instead of a bag, you could also use a 

coffee can.) Put the coins in the bag along with about a cup of 

uncooked rice, beans, or oatmeal. Set the filled bag on the floor 

or tabletop. Without looking inside the bag, take turns finding 

all the coins of one kind (pennies, nickels, dimes, or quarters).

Another way to play the game would be to have one child find 

as many coins as possible while the parent or another child 

counts to ten.

Treasure hunt for coin counting practice Ages 6+

This problem solving activity will help your child learn coin values. 

Katie saved $2.30 and she could count it out herself. Your 

young saver may need some coin counting practice. Help your 

child with a treasure hunt at home. Gather all the loose change 

you and your child can find. Look under the couch cushions, in 

old coats, the car, or any place spare change might hide. Ask 
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your child to sort all the found coins. How many of each type of 

coin does he or she have?

Help your child practice counting change. Use as many 

different coin combinations as possible.

A month of pennies Ages 9+

This activity will help your children learn to make decisions.

Ask your children how many days it would take to become 

a millionaire if they had a penny that doubled each day. The 

answer is 28 days.

Begin with one cent on the first day and double it. You will 

have two cents the second day, four cents the third day, and so 

on. On the 28th day you would have $1,342,177.28! To see for 

yourself, help your child with this exercise.

Have your child draw 28 squares on a piece of paper. You could 

also use the month of February from a wall calendar. Start by 

asking your child to write 1 cent in the upper left square.

Now ask your child to double the amount in each square until 

all the squares are full. You may need to help your child as the 

sums grow large.
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About this guide

The Money as You Grow Book Club is a research-based program 

designed to help parents, caregivers, and others teach children 

ages 4 through 10 money skills through reading, activities, and play. 

The Money as You Grow Book Club is an updated version of 

the University of Nevada Extension’s Money on the Bookshelf 

program. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), The 

University of Wisconsin-Madison Center for Financial Security, 

and the University of Wisconsin-Extension Family Living Programs 

have worked together to expand the program and make it 

available to libraries, educators, and parents nationally. 

The CFPB is an independent federal agency. We write and 

enforce rules that keep banks and other financial companies 

operating fairly. We also help educate and empower 

consumers. For more about tools and resources for parents, visit 

consumerfinance.gov/MoneyAsYouGrow. 

The Center for Financial Security is a research center that seeks 

to help the public build financial knowledge and skills, increase 

access to financial services and increase the financial security 

of families. The University of Wisconsin-Extension is part of the 

National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s (NIFA) Cooperative 

Extension System, which brings vital, practical information to 

agricultural producers, small business owners, consumers, 

families, and young people.
To learn more about the Money as You Grow Book 

Club, or download other parent reading guides, visit 

consumerfinance.gov/MoneyAsYouGrow.

MONEY AS YOU GROW BOOK CLUB

Ask about these other Money as You Grow Book Club books and 

parent guides. ISBNs for paperback versions are included below:

July | 2016

Alexander, Who Used 

to be Rich Last Sunday

by Judith Viorst

ISBN # 0689711999

A Chair for My Mother 

by Vera Williams

ISBN # 0688040748

Just Shopping 

with Mom

by Mercer Mayer

ISBN # 0307119726

Ox-Cart Man

by Donald Hall

ISBN # 0140504419

Sheep in a Shop

by Nancy Shaw

ISBN # 0395706726

The Berenstain Bears & 

Mama's New Job

by Stan & Jan Berenstain

ISBN # 0394868811

The Berenstain Bears' 

Trouble with Money

by Stan & Jan Berenstain

ISBN # 0394859170

A Bargain for Frances 

by Russell Hoban

ISBN # 006444001X

Consumer Financial

Protection Bureau