“Inspire and empower financial independence one child at a time”
Our Story
Hi I am L-i-l-y. This is my best friend Mbengu. Along with the author, we are the creators of a series of children’s books that are part of an Early Financial Literacy program which explains basic money concepts to pre-K and elementary school children ages 4-11.
On the Shelf
Our illustrated stories appeal to young readers and lay a foundation for learning about money. They are written with carefully selected vocabulary and simple terms.
Our goal is to introduce, describe and spread needed money ideas in a fun way!
Our Schools
Lily is assisting students to gain financial understanding. As a leading educator, we trust you share in the belief, that through financial education we can create a positive impact and empower the lives of the children in our communities.
Our Vision
We want to inspire and empower financial independence one child at a time by giving each child a book in their hand. We want them to take these books home, talk to siblings, parents and grand parents about money. As a community we want to feel empowered about money.
Our Pilot Program
Currently, we have pilot programs launched in New York and Illinois where Lily is assisting students to gain financial understanding. See our footprint. We trust you share in the belief, that through financial education, we can create a positive impact and empower the lives of the children in their communities.
Our Results Speak for themselves
Our schools vary from urban immigrant public schools to affluent private preschools in the suburbs. All are finding value in learning about financial literacy.
Prior to an assessment, we found that only 5% of our students could explain the difference between a bank and a piggy bank.
Our post assessment has found that 85% of children could explain the difference between a bank and a piggy bank.
PRE TEST
POST TEST
"Laying the foundation and empowering young children to be confident about finance."
Our Readers are Saying...
As the mother of two curious young children, ages 7 and 5, I am very pleased with Lily the Wealth Builder books. Lily and Mbengu, the characters, captivate and enlighten my kids. Their dialog about how currency is printed in “Lily Learns About Currency” and the difference between needs and wants in “Lily Understands Needs and Wants” are very educational and promote questions and discussions about financial matters which are not frequent topics of conversation with kids. Furthermore, the colorful graphics attract my children’s attention and nurture their imagination. I highly recommend this book series to other parents who want to create financial awareness in their children.
Alicia L
As an educator for over 20 years this is the best down to earth approach to money management for the primary grades.
Pamela W
As soon as I read the first book of the series, my teacher mind began to imagine all of the extensions that could be created to increase children’s financial literacy. As a director of an early childhood center, I don’t get a lot of opportunities to create and present lessons anymore but I introduced our 4 and 5-year-olds to Lily Goes to the Bank, and did a post-reading activity. They were engaged with the book-illustrations and text- immediately. We had a lively discussion in which the children related their experience with banks and money, but more importantly, showed that they grasped the concepts introduced in the book. An informal assessment a week later showed that 90% of the children retained a clear understanding of the main concept of the book- that saving money in a bank increases it’s value. I can’t wait to work with the teaching staff to incorporate the entire series into our program. I do not know of any other books or curriculum approach financial literacy for young children in such a unique and approachable way.
Beth R
Yes, the book does teach about money and saving… That’s all important! But it’s also a great text for social studies and mathematics! This can be a mentor text for students in that they can write fiction about what they did with their saved money and they can write nonfiction How-to books about the art of saving money.
Crystal H
What a wonderful way to teach children about money. My granddaughter loves the characters in the books.
Terry D
Our daughter Bryleigh has really enjoyed the Lily the Wealth Builder Series. Although she is still young, she is delighted with Lily as a character and loves her adventures with Mbengu. We have purchased a piggy bank and any change that can be found has to be put into “piggy” to save. She is grasping the concept of money and the need to save in order to buy things later. We hope this series will help her as she continues to develop into a responsible young lady who understands the value in saving and growing her wealth from a young age.
Kelly N
In reading these books my daughter is getting a good foundation for learning about money. She loves the characters and it’s been fun to watch her knowledge and vocabulary about finances grow. At six years old she now feels empowered to say she owns two businesses.
