A new book on the financial crisis considers children’s advice for preventing the next one! May Moon Rescues the World Economy also helps children learn about the causes of the recent recession.

The new book follows May Moon and the Secrets of the CPAs and How to Raise a Money-Wise Child which were published in 2005 as part of the Hong Kong Institute of CPAs’ “Rich Kid Poor Kid” financial education programme.

In the new book, our young heroine May Moon makes a huge leap from coping with pocket money and personal finance to tackling the financial crisis head on. Bestselling author Sam Jam — also known as Nury Vittachi — places her in a village experiencing economic problems typical of recession-plagued towns throughout the world. There, she works with other children to find solutions to economic problems.

“We began the May Moon series to help children learn money values and we are continuing it with this volume,” says Institute Chief Executive Winnie Cheung. “The new book helps children learn broader economic concepts as we emerge from the recession. As professional accountants, this is a real value we can bring to Hong Kong families – sharing our special knowledge in a way that connects us to them.”

The book is the newest addition to the Institute’s “Rich Kid Poor Kid” community outreach project in which more than 200 volunteer CPAs go to primary and secondary schools to teach students lessons about money values. Since its beginning in 2005, the project has reached more than 33,000 students and won the Asia Pacific PR Awards “Corporate Social Responsibility Campaign of the Year” in 2007.

Vittachi is a columnist, lecturer and TV host who writes for children and adults. The Institute invited him to write both books. He says he spent a lot of time talking to Hong Kong pupils about money before writing the book. “Getting a handle on money is difficult even for adults and yet children have no training in school about this subject,” says Vittachi. “I hope through reading about these issues, children will develop healthy attitudes towards money from an early age.”

May Moon Rescues the World Economy is on sale in bookshops now for HK$65. Details are available here or at the Institute’s website: www.hkicpa.org.hk.