Part of my night time routine with my son includes picking a book to read before he goes to bed. As time has passed, we’ve accumulated a lot of books to choose from, and although both he and I have our faves that we often repeat throughout the week, it’s good to have options.
The latest book we’re adding to the shelves is Bull and Bear Race at the Big Board, a children’s book about financial literacy and investing, written by my friend and fellow dad, Craig Robinson. Craig was kind enough to talk about the inspiration behind writing the book and what readers can expect.
Tell us a little about yourself and your new book that’s coming out.
Craig Robinson, I’m a husband, girl dad of three little princesses, Norielle, Lynden, and Nevada –Rose, all under six years old, and an avid investor. So I wrote this book for them and all the small children in the community to introduce them to the stock market concepts, which is one of the best tools for wealth generation. The book Bull and Bear Race at the Big Board is a playful, imaginative introduction to the stock market, providing the basic concept of investing in the stock market for the very young.
What was the inspiration behind wanting to write this book?
The book combines my passion for my children and investing. Also, the wealth gap in this country is staggering. According to the National Financial Educators Council, a lack of financial literacy costs the average American $1,389 in 2021. Only 61% of Americans can pass a basic financial literacy test. And recent Federal Reserve data shows that only 24% and 34% of Hispanic and Black families hold stocks. Everyone has a relationship with money, so if we can shape and frame a positive relationship with money and investing at an early age, I believe we can close the generational wealth gap.
You don’t often see children’s books about financial literacy and investing. What do you hope kids and parents can learn from this book?
At the end of the day, I hope to spark curiosity in the stock market and help children and parents understand what's being said when they hear certain words and vernacular related to the stock market. For example, my good friend who worked with me putting together the website for Nolyne is not all familiar with investing, but was watching the news one day and heard the term Bull and understood what is being said. She said the book helped her understand the terminology and nuances of investing.
What aspects of your own life as a dad helped inspire this book?
The desire for my children to learn how to be investors. Understanding the stock market, in my mind, is a life skill. Investing for the future is something you can do for the rest of your life and for future generations. Investing is bigger than me. I think about the generations of Robinson's that will come after me, so if the holdings in the portfolio can be passed on for generations and help fund college, weddings, houses, and businesses, I've done my job getting the ball rolling. The most important aspect of investing is time, so the sooner you start and have your money compound, the greater your chance of the initial investment growing to a substantial amount.
What was the most challenging aspect of writing this book?
The most challenging part was establishing the publishing company and finding the illustrator. I interviewed probably five illustrators but found Carolina Buzzio, a fantastic children's book illustrator based in Berlin. We hit it off on our first zoom meeting, and she grasped my vision for the book and put her style into the book with the colors and aspects. She's a pro and was extremely helpful and patient, being that I am a first-time author.
Where can people purchase your book?
You can visit www.nolyne.com to purchase the book, and we have some other goodies coming when you purchase from the site. However, most online book retailers such as Amazon, Walmart, Barnes & Noble, and bookshop.org offer the book.