In the first installment of the “Zina Bina Financial Literacy Series,” readers follow Zina Bina, an imaginative and curious young girl, on an adventure filled with fun, discovery, and financial smarts. Photo by Tabius McCoy/The Atlanta Voice Often in life, there are many things we either nev er learn about, learn about too late, or learn the hard way. Although not regularly taught in school, there are topics that are essential to understanding in order to make informed, responsible decisions. One of these topics is financial literacy. Author and mother Alex Ryan has released her first children’s series book, “Zina Bina Learns the Value of Money,” for this exact reason. Illustrated by Marvin Piwowarski and written by Ryan, the 56-page, hardcover book helps children understand the value of money through engaging storytelling, relatable lessons, and colorful illustrations. Statistics show that children and teens have low confidence and knowledge in personal finance, with a significant gap existing between the desire for education and the availability of formal instruction, according to Annuity. Most financial education currently happens at home, though many parents feel unequipped to teach the subject effectively.  In the first installment of the “Zina Bina Financial Literacy Series,” readers follow Zina Bina, an imaginative and curious young girl, on an adventure filled with fun, discovery, and financial smarts. Through playful storytelling, relatable scenarios, and whimsical illustrations, children are invited to learn about saving, spending, sharing, and growing money in a positive, empowering way. Piwowarski brings Zina Bina’s world to life with bright, expressive artwork that enhances these lessons and sparks imagination. Together, the storytelling and visuals create an engaging tool for families and classrooms alike. Ryan says financial education isn’t just for adults, and by introducing key concepts like budgeting, delayed gratification, and value creation early, children are better equipped to build healthy financial habits and self-confidence as they grow. “Zina Bina Learns the Value of Money” transforms what can feel like “grown-up talk” into joyful, kid-friendly experiences that make learning feel natural, not intimidating. “Children are naturally inquisitive, and money is a part of their world long before adults realize it,” Ryan said. “This book gives families and educators a joyful, relatable way to start important conversations about money, self-control, and making thoughtful choices.” Photo by Tabius McCoy/The Atlanta Voice Zina Bina’s Origin Alex’s daughter Zahrya Toregano inspired Zina Bina’s origin when she was around five or six years old, according to Ryan. “Zahrya’s energy and spirit around that time were vibrant. When she was younger, she had such a big personality and a lot of energy,” she said. “She was just a bubbly, happy, joyful kid bouncing all over the place, and she had big, thick, bouncy hair, which is why Zina Bina has thick hair as well. I said to her one day, ‘Girl, you look like a book character,’ and that kind of got me thinking.” Ryan started brainstorming the idea in 2011-2012 by calling her daughter “Rina-Bina”, which got her started on the pilot stages of what is now Zina Bina. Ryan said she became bust with life and not put much else thought into it until last year, when she received signs making her want to bring back the book series. A couple of years back, she says she began to dive deep into her financial education journey, simply because life had been a little challenging for her throughout the years due to finances and not having the full knowledge or information about financial literacy. “My mom and dad did the best they could with what they had when I was growing up, so they gave it to us based on what they were able to in a way they knew how to give to their children,” she said. “But it was so much that I feel like they missed something, and we made mistakes.” Ryan says she made a lot of financial mistakes, and her life became extremely expensive for a while due to her lack of knowledge on a lot of things. “Raising a child as a single mom struggling with finances, after a while, it takes a toll on you,” she said. “I just knew it had to be more to life than struggle, I’m seeing people on TV, hearing interviews, living their lives successfully, going on vacations, and I’m saying to myself, ‘what’s their secret?” This sparked the financial deep dive into financial education and literacy with her asking herself, how can she mash up her and her daughter in one? Thus, the creation of Zina Bina was born. Ryan says she took her daughter’s energy and her own journey and cultivated the branding of this book character. “All the information I’m learning now is great, but what if I had it when I was younger?” she asked herself. “What if my parents knew this stuff or were able to teach it to us in a practical way that we would enjoy and understand at the ages of four and five?” Ryan said she wanted to keep kids engaged and captivate them, and they do not even realize they’re learning about the concepts of money. She also says it’s important to begin a foundation because she’s aware there are a lot of financial literacy books out there, but few that tell it in a way children can understand. “We have to let kids know what to do with the money, but we first have to start by letting them understand what money is,” she said. “Why should we value money? How should we feel about money, because it starts at the root of the foundation and how you build your relationship with money determines how you use it, manage it, and how to deal with it in life moving forward.” Zina Bina, Beyond, Advice When parents buy the book for their children and read them, Ryan wants them to understand although money is an abstract concept, that it doesn’t have to be taboo. “People don’t talk about money, especially with their kids. It’s like we don’t talk about finance in the house, but there are ways we can break it down to our children to be able to introduce the concept to them at an early age to the point they can get it and understand it,” she said. “Even if they don’t grasp the entire concept, they grasp it enough to understand. We’re trying to build financially wise, confident, financially healthy adults, and it starts from childhood.” Additionally, once Ryan is done with her financial literacy series of Zina Bina, she says she wants the character to branch out and do other things. “Everybody wants to see Zina Bina do other things like ride a bike, and eventually her character will grow into a more expansive, dynamic character,” she said. “I felt like the financial literacy series was extremely important, especially in today’s time with all the economical struggles. We don’t want to keep repeating history and breaking the cycle begins with our children.” As far as advice for parents out there who may not agree or are unsure on how to discuss to their children about finances, Ryan says she didn’t always know she needed the information because as adults, we think we know “everything.” “We think we know enough to be able to teach and raise our kids to be financially responsible and responsible adults, but we have to lean into the fact there’s always room to grow and there’s always more knowledge and information we can gain to be able to educate ourselves,” she said. As a single mom, Ryan says her advice to other single parents is to not shelter your kids and think they may not understand. “Sometimes, we don’t teach our kids certain things because we think they’re too young to handle it or they won’t understand. I want my kid’s foundation to be so solid because she was aware of things,” she said. “You can’t shelter kids from things because you’re afraid of what they may or may not be able to handle.” Having hard conversations with your kids and teaching them how to have those types of conversations is extremely important in the development of that child, Ryan said. “We can’t be afraid to have these conversations with our kids, and you have to nurture the information with them as well,” she said. “You need to nurture the information too and not just leave it there. Give them practical lessons and examples, and be with them in that space so they can grasp it in the correct way.” Also, Ryan says she invites parents to skim through their last three to six months of their bank account/statements and highlight the repetition, which will tell you where you’re spending your money and if all that money is going out and none of it is being saved or invested. “If all that money is going out and none of it is being saved or invested, then it’s time for a conversation,” she said. “You must tell yourself this isn’t going to get me to the place in life where I can create generational wealth. Look at your own practices and life and scan that to see if you’re struggling.” Ryan also says she had her daughter sit and watch her invest in stocks. Zahrya even has her login, where her mother requests her to log in at least once a week and see what the numbers are doing. “It’s to see how we’re gaining and to see how we’re losing. It’s to familiarize herself with it, or when I go to the bank, I take her with me,” she said. “Walk your child through the steps at the bank, let them watch you, even if it may go over their head a little bit, but kids are resilient.” Additionally, the second book in the series is complete and will be released sometime in Spring 2026. In the next five years, Ryan says she sees Zina Bina as a household name, a franchise. “I see her doing all the things I see her being in. On her Instagram, she already has animations, talks, and audio. She bounces on money balloons and goes on rockets,” she said. More will continue in this book series, and we want to build an entire world around her with apparel, party packs, dolls, animation, TV shows, etc.” The book is now available for order through all major platforms where books are sold, including Amazon, Barnes Noble, Goodreads, and Walmart.com. 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