Quail Can't Decide
Written by Jacquelyn Reinach
Published by Holt, Rinehart and Winston of Canada
Printed in Canada and the U.S.
Copyright 1977

Carmiann Kolker recommends using the lesson You Decide with this book.

Carmiann says...

On www.econedlink.org I found the lesson, “You Decide!” It covers choice, cost/benefit, decision making, opportunity cost, and scarcity. In the story, Quail Can’t Decide, written by Jacquelyn Reinach, Quail has one dollar to spend. There are three things Quail wants to buy, but she can only afford one. She loves a big yellow plastic bracelet she saw. She needs a new sugar bowl. She really wants a red scarf, but she is not sure which to buy. Quail can use the P.A.C.E.D. Decision Making Model to help her make the decision.

During the story, Quail's friends give her input about what to buy. Xerus tells her to buy something she needs. Zebra said buy something you want. Lion told Quail to buy something that would make her happy.

In the end, after everyone gave additional ideas to Quail, she learned about opportunity cost. She had to pick between her two top choices, and decided to buy the big yellow bracelet.