Book Review: Dash and Nikki and the Jellybean Game by Anthony C. Delauney

 Dash and Nikki

and the Jellybean Game

by

Anthony C. Delauney

Illustrated by Chiara Civati

 

Publisher: Mascot Books
 

Publication date: 7th December 2021

 

Genre: Children's Picture Book

 

Pages: 38

 

Format read: Hardcover

 

Source: Courtesy of the publisher via Smith Publicity 

 

My review

 

Dash and Nikki are introduced to a new game by their mother. The jellybean game is a game to nurture patience and working together. Each child is given 10 jellybeans and if they don't eat any in 1 hour they will be given an additional 5 jellybeans and so on each hour until dinner time.

 

Nikki couldn't wait out the hour and ate her jellybeans. Dash went out to play so he wouldn't be tempted, after 1 hour he had 5 more jellybeans and 5 more the next hour. Nikki seeing all his beans was very upset. Seeing his sister upset, Dash gave Nikki 10 of his beans so she could also get more beans under the proviso at the end of the day she give him 12 beans back. (A little lesson on borrowing and interest here). The jellybeans mount up as the hours passed and  at the end of the day the children ate half their jellybeans and saved half for later.

 

Dash and Nikki and the Jellybean Game has important themes of saving, patience and helping each other. The children learn that sometimes delayed gratification can lead to greater rewards.

 

The children enjoyed this rhyming picture book and immediately Dot wanted to play the game. She knew Jay didn't like jellybeans so she would easily get them all. Hmmm maybe we will change it to smarties. 

Dot had a few questions at the end of the book one of which was; What if Nikki ate the 10 jellybeans Dash gave her and then couldn't pay him back? (that's a whole other story about debt recovery). 

 

The author doesn't use money as currency in this book and although the idea of saving jellybeans is fun I think that children understand the concept of money from an early age.

 

The bright illustrations will appeal to children and the rhythm of the text flows well when read aloud.

 

My rating 3 / 5  ⭐⭐⭐

 

About the author

 

Anthony Delauney is a financial advisor in Raleigh, North Carolina, who has a passion for helping families take control of their financial lives. he is also the founder of Owning the Dash, LLC, an organisation dedicated to helping educate and inspire families as they work to achieve their financial goals.

Dash and Nikki and The jellybean Game is Anthony's first book in the Owning the Dash children's series. With the help of his daughter Abbie, and son, Jason, he wrote the book both to entertain children of all ages and to teach them an important financial lesson that will help guide them in years to come.