Once Upon an Economy: How this Canberra economist is turning fairy tales into financial lessons

Posted on 14 May, 2025

It’s a fairy tale we all know and love: a young mermaid trades her beautiful voice to a sea witch in exchange for human legs, hoping to win a prince’s heart.

But what if we told you, it’s also a story that can teach children about transactions, trade-offs, and what makes a fair or unfair exchange?

That’s what author and economist Helen Hoang is doing with her Canberra-based book series Economics for Kids (Lessons from Fables & Fairy Tales).

Weaving together 20 timeless fairy tales with 20 core economic life skills, the series was created during family outings with her young son as she tried to explain the world of money in simple, magical terms.

Explaining that it is her “way of giving back”, she says that economic lessons aren’t just about money: they’re about how society works, how people make decisions, and how they think critically.

“I grew up in a mountainous area of Vietnam, where many families struggled with food and basic needs. While Australian kids might grow up reading The Barefoot Investor, my memories are of classmates walking barefoot to school, wearing torn clothes,” says Helen.

“I watched my parents work incredibly hard, stretching a single income to support the family and even others. Yet, conversations about money were filled with anxiety or never happened at all. When I started studying economics, I finally understood the systems behind those struggles.”

Holding a doctorate in Economics from the Australian National University as well as multiple masters degrees in Economic Policy, Business Administration, and Development Studies, she says that her upbringing sparked a deep desire to empower others – especially children – with tools to make sense of money and the world around them.

Writing Economics for Kids to explore essential concepts across both microeconomics and macroeconomics, from scarcity and opportunity cost to budgeting, fairness, innovation, taxes, public goods, technology, globalisation, and even artificial intelligence, the books are designed for children aged eight to 13 but can be read by anyone with an interest in economics.

Fusing together fairy tales with economic ideas to help give children a fun and meaningful start in economic thinking, Helen says that she wants to hand them the tools to build the confidence and essential skills to make better decisions –  now and in the future.

“Fairy tales and fables are the perfect vessels for these lessons. These timeless stories already hold deep messages about power, greed, kindness, hard work, and consequences –  the same themes at the heart of economics,” she says.

“By reimagining classics like The Ant and the Grasshopper, The Fox and the Crow, The Golden Goose, The Stone Soup, and Cinderella through an economic lens, children begin to see how every decision has an opportunity cost, and how our choices shape our futures. Fairy tales gain new life and meaning, and economics becomes something children can understand, enjoy, and connect to their world.”

But the books aren’t just about the power of economics – they are also a love letter to Canberra.

Building on familiar locations, each chapter of Economics for Kids, features vibrant illustrations of real Canberra landmarks, turning learning into “a city tour and economic adventure.”

“It’s where childhood memories meet national identity, where fairy tales can live alongside Parliament House, the Carillon sings above Lake Burley Griffin, and the Royal Mint reminds us of the value of every coin and every choice,” explains Helen.

“Setting these stories in real places makes the lessons even more grounded and magical. By anchoring timeless economic lessons in iconic Canberra landmarks, the books become more than just learning tools; they’re windows into our nation’s soul.”

“People often see Canberra as just a political city full of public servants. But to me, it’s poetic and full of hidden magic where love, learning, and fairy tales come to life.”

Hoping that parents and children read these stories together, laugh, and reflect on the fact that economics is not just “something for grownups in suits” and Economics for Kids is more than a financial literacy book. Helen says that it’s also a gentle invitation for children to think critically, ask big questions, and discover that they have the power to shape their future and the world around them.

“The financial literacy crisis in Australia is real and urgent. If financial literacy isn’t being taught consistently in schools, then we must find new ways to begin these conversations at home, in libraries, in communities. And that’s exactly where Economics for Kids steps in.”

“Whether a child grows up to be a scientist, a baker, an artist, or an engineer, understanding how the world works economically helps them make wise decisions, care for others, and contribute meaningfully to their community.”

Becoming an Amazon Number One Best Seller in Children’s Books on Money, currently ranked number two in Children’s Money & Saving (just behind The Barefoot Investor for Kids) and now available in leading Canberra bookstores and globally at major retailers, this is just the beginning for Helen and Economics for Kids.

Preparing for Vietnamese editions as well as audiobooks, eBooks, and animated trailers of Economics for Kids, she is also working on a games and activity book for kids and parents to do at home. And with city tours, school excursions, and holiday programs and more planned for the future, the plan is to turn economics into something kids can see, touch, and experience.

Never imagining that it would grow into a movement touching hearts across the globe, Helen says that these stories aren’t just for kids who want to study economics – they’re for everyone who is looking for an engaging way to talk about money and decision-making with their kids.

“A Vietnamese proverb says: ‘Give someone a fish, they eat for a day. Give them a fishing rod, they eat for life.’ This book is the fishing rod helping children understand how money and the economy work so they can make confident, informed decisions as they grow.”

“Together, we’re not just teaching kids about money, we’re building a future of wise thinkers and kind leaders. One story at a time. And it all starts right here, in Canberra.”

For more information, visit economicsforkids.com.au

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