"It&39;s the cutest little thing you ever saw"…

If you&39;re a parent of an elementary age school girl hooked on Full House reruns (there happen to be quite a few of us out there!) then you&39;ve heard that phrase more than once.

It&39;s the first thing that popped into my mind when I received the Money Mama piggybank from Lori Mackay.

As a parent and financial writer, I am constantly on the lookout for great financial education tools for my daughter (and fodder for my blogs and articles), and the Money Mama piggyback kept popping up in online recommendations. Lori generously sent me one to check out. 

The bank itself is absolutely darling, with Mama pig and her three little babies in front. The quality of the ceramic bank is excellent, though I wouldn&39;t test the durability on my tile floors. Alone it would make a great gift for your child, or for someone else&39;s.

But it&39;s the book that comes along with the bank that&39;s the clincher. Beautifully illustrated, Money Mama and the Three Little Pigs explains to kids the concepts of using money for investing, charity, savings and spending through a story that is engaging and not the least bit preachy. My daughter and I loved it.

She&39;s in second grade and, as my guinea pig, already exposed to a variety of financial education tools. We both felt it was a bit young for her. But it was the perfect fit for her four-year old cousin. Kids at that age are very hands on, and the bank is a good way to allow them to keep an eye on their money, while learning how to divide it up among the things that are important to them.

If you&39;re a parent or grandparent looking for a better gift for your child than the latest GameBoy release or Webkinz toy, I&39;d highly recommend the Money Mama piggybank and book.