“The Yoyo and the Piggy Bank is an educational picturebook designed to teach children about the basics of earning, counting, and saving money in a piggy bank. Young Anna wants to buy a special purple yoyo from Mr. Jones’ store, but she doesn’t have the money; what to do? Her mother shows her that she can earn money to buy the things she wants! Anna does simple jobs like walking the neighbor’s dog, raking Grandpa’s lawn, and helping her mother clean the kitchen. In the process, she learns how much the different types of coins in her piggy bank (penny, dime, nickel, quarter, half-dollar, and dollar coin) are worth. The Yoyo and the Piggy Bank has a fair amount of text for a picturebook; it’s recommended that parents or teachers read aloud and share the story with little ones, as an excellent ‘penny wise’ lesson!”

— Midwest Book Review, July 2015

A children’s book is not the first thought that comes to mind when considering a collaboration between a retired financial adviser and pediatric dentist, which is an odd combo to start with.

But write and illustrate one is what Susan Werner Thoresen, the former, and Keith Eveland, the latter, have done.

“The Yoyo and the Piggy Bank,” released this month, is a labor of love stretching back a dozen years for Werner Thoresen. It made sense when it came time to illustrating the tale that she would turn to Eveland for help, her friend and former children’s dentist.

Read the full articleby Jeanne McCartin: seacoastonline, May 14, 2015

“I welcome [The Yoyo and the Piggy Bank] and the lessons within—it sweetens the joy of yoyo’ing, as it teaches us how to accomplish a goal. It does a marvelous job illustrating this valuable lesson.” —Rae Dawn Chong, Actress, Writer, Producer

“An entertaining look at multiple aspects of financial lessons that kids can easily grasp; it’s also a good resource for any organization using financial literacy education to ensure a brighter future for all children.”—Claudia Hellebush, President & CEO, United Way of Chester County, PA

“Primary aged children will certainly be entertained by this story as they learn about financial responsibility!” —Sandra Carey, Retired Master Teacher