About the Holiday

Lemonade Day was established in 2007 in Houston, Texas by Lisa and Michael Holthouse to encourage kids to discover their inner entrepreneur and set up their own businesses. Lisa was inspired by her own experience of setting up a lemonade stand as a child to buy a pet turtle that her father refused to pay for. The main character in today’s book has similar motivations with an altruistic bent.

Caterina and the Lemonade Stand

By Erin Eitter Kono

Summertime has finally arrived, and Caterina is ready for fun. As she passes a store window, she is captivated by the shiny new scooter in the window. A quick check of her kitty bank, however, reminds her that “buying new things isn’t always so easy.” Caterina knows that money doesn’t grow on trees, but is also happily aware that lemons do. Caterina has a brainstorm: “a lemonade stand would be the perfect way to earn money for the scooter!”

Copyright Erin Eitter Kono, courtesy of Dial Books for Young Readers.

So Caterina, “a little brown bird with great big colorful thoughts,” puts her mind to the task. As she loves to do, she makes a list of what she’ll need—“lots of lemons, sweet sugar, icy-cold water, and of course…a super stand!” But Caterina looks around her. It seems that everyone has a lemonade stand, including her friends Patrick the bear, Paul Peacock, and even Dig Dig the hampster, her little brother Leo’s best friend.

Copyright Erin Eitter Kono, courtesy of Dial Books for Young Readers.

Caterina realizes that if she “is going to earn enough money to buy the scooter, her stand must stand out.” She begins to think creatively. To make her stand the most attractive and inviting, she decorates it with handmade crafts that are cozy and colorful, studs the lemons with cloves to make them aromatic, fills her booth with the music of Leo’s violin playing, and experiments with flavors.

Soon, she has a stand that is unique. A rainbow mobile fluttering with multicolored ribbons hangs next to a banner that reads: “Color your own lemonade.” Nearby sits a basketful of delicious fruit that thirsty customers can add to their glass to create an individual taste sensation. In no time, her stand has earned her “an entire bank full of coins. Just enough to buy a shiny new scooter…for Leo!”

Following the story, Caterina gives some good advice for ways to stand out that include being creative, planning well, working hard, and finding the best assistant.

Copyright Erin Eitter Kono, courtesy of Dial Books for Young Readers.

Erin Eitter Kono’s Caterina is a cutie of a role model for young readers who think differently or who want to stand out in other ways. She shows kids that by using their talents they too can reveal their own unique abilities and personalities. Adults and children will appreciate her loving relationship with her little brother, who is Caterina’s helpful assistant and the beneficiary of the money they earn.  Caterina’s clever solution to her dilemma is hinted at throughout the cheery illustrations, and readers will enjoy watching Caterina’s lemonade stand come together with her handiwork.

For kids full of ideas, Caterina and the Lemonade Stand would make an adorable addition to their home home bookshelves.

Ages 3 – 5

Dial Books for Young Readers, 2014 | ISBN 978-0803739031

Learn more about Erin Eitter Kono and her books and view a portfolio of her illustration and design work on her website!

Spend more time with Caterina, Leo, and their friends on Caterina’s Corner!

Lemonade Day Activity

Yummy Lemonade Stand Coloring Page

There’s nothing more refreshing than a glass of lemonade on a hot summer day! Enjoy coloring this printable Yummy Lemonade Stand Coloring Page—and drink a cold lemonade while you work.

Picture Book Review