Bini Birdies
Mika's Money Adventure
Little Choices, Big Lessons
Standard Bank Wealth & Investment
How do we help children develop a healthy relationship with money from an early age?
Research suggests that many of the attitudes, habits and behaviours that shape how we engage with money begin developing during childhood. Introducing financial concepts through age-appropriate conversations and experiences can help children build the foundations for financial capability, confidence and decision-making later in life.
With this in mind, Bini Birdies was approached by Standard Bank to create Mika’s Money Adventure: Little Choices, Big Lessons, an illustrated financial literacy book for children aged 7–12, created for Standard Bank Wealth & Investment clients and their families.
At its heart, Mika’s Money Adventure is a proudly African story. Set across South Africa and Kenya, it follows Mika through familiar places, relationships and everyday experiences, grounding financial learning in a contemporary African context. While distinctly African in its setting and identity, the story explores universal themes of friendship, family, curiosity, independence, generosity and making choices, allowing children to connect with Mika’s journey wherever they are in the world.
The project also connects to Standard Bank’s purpose, “Africa is our home, we drive her growth,” by investing in the financial capability of the next generation and creating a resource shaped by the continent, its children and their futures.
Rather than presenting financial literacy as a set of abstract concepts, the book uses storytelling, relatable experiences and interactive activities to explore ideas around earning, saving, spending, giving and making thoughtful choices. Children are encouraged to ask questions, consider different possibilities and begin developing their own understanding of money and financial decision-making.
The book was co-authored by The Standard Bank of South Africa and Bini Birdies, and illustrated and designed by Bini Birdies, bringing together financial knowledge, child-centred educational thinking, storytelling and visual communication to make a complex subject accessible and engaging for young readers.
Mika’s Money Adventure was launched at the 2026 Kingsmead Book Fair in Johannesburg, where the story moved beyond the page through an interactive children’s session exploring financial literacy through conversation, storytelling and activities.
Client: Standard Bank Wealth & Investment
Co-authored: The Standard Bank of South Africa and Bini Birdies
Illustrated and designed: Bini Birdies
Published by: Imagnary House
Created for: Children 7-11 and their families
