A Bucket of Blessings

The first thing I noticed about this book is the artwork. It has a distinctly East Asian style, starting with the shape of the monkey's head (like a coconut) to the muted color palette. Coincidently, the illustrator is Chinese and utilizes traditional printmaking into his work. I am visually intrigued by the dimension created on each page - especially the rain page. The powerful visuals affect the tone of the book, and in this case, it changes the cultural associations.The story is told in present tense, with animal characters. The story is simple and encourages young readers to do good deeds, however small, because even small blessings can bring big change. The pacing is decent, though I felt like there was too little description in the writing, to convey the message. The artwork does a lot of the heavy-lifting. Water scarcity and volunteering are subjects that are difficult to introduce to young children, but these complex concepts are simplified enough for children to understand. This is a beautifully illustrated book addressing very important values. I can definitely applaud the writer for their vision.

A wonderful new book for the grandchild in your life.I always loved the act of giving books to friends and family. Only recently, the arrival of grandchildren has allowed me to return to my long neglected collection of favorite books for children.Many of books hint at fond memories, smiles and even laughter. Who could ask for anything more.I was doubtful that anything new could be added to this shelf of timeless classics.But then.... I discovered A Bucket of Blessings: a beautiful, straight forward, story of hope and resilience, which for me are essential truths for each generation.Congratulations and thanks to the creators of this wonderful story. Fortunately, beauty and truth can come in small sizes and there was still room on my shelf for this “new” classic. My collection of favorites readings for children has just expanded.

A very sweet story about something essential- my 3 year old boys really like it! However, how simple would it be to add a single female to this story by changing a couple pronouns? My husband and I notice this lack of females in contemporary children’s books everywhere, and unfortunately this was another one, so pointing it out in case it matters to others as well.

This book is not only for children, but can be enjoyed by readers from all ages and all walks of life. For children, it is an inspiring and interesting story about how failure can lead to hidden successes. For teenagers, college students and adults, the hidden subtext and meaning conveyed in just a few 100 words will make this book a very interesting read. Within a quick 5 minutes of reading, the authors have managed to convey various lessons that can positively affect everyones lives.The large and beautiful illustrations in the book are an absolute treat The fact that the proceeds are going directly to a reputed charity only solidifies the fact that this book is a solid buy.

Am purchasing this book for all the kids in my life and some adults! The authors have managed to tell a captivating children's story that also (gently) introduces young readers to a critical global issue, the scarcity of water. The message is subtle, but it is there, and that's what I like best about this book. I expect it will be featured in all UN and UNICEF book stores. It should also be a hot item for school libraries, environmental groups and teachers. I also adore the illustrations, which are gorgeous! A great find and a great gift for young readers.

Aside from the spectacularly dramatic illustrations, this is a book I was excited to purchase for my nieces/nephews because of the subtle themes and values often lacking in much of what they're exposed to today; particularly the importance of our natural resources, too often taken for granted, and service to others (with a fantastic moral when Monkey thinks his mission is a failure... and looks back to see the trail of all that's flourished through his travails). My favorite aspect of this book purchase is that a portion of the proceeds are donated to charity:water.

Finding wholehearted, elegantly-illustrated, simply-illustrated children's books is no small task. With this book, one finds it all. As a career educator, I always search for wonderful children's books. I am so glad that my cousin and aunt wrote this book. Giving children simple, ethical stories allows children and adults to explore their imaginations and the development of their moral compasses. This is one of those books that you can read over and over. I have already shared it with a number of children in my life and will continue to.

I bought this book to read to my 6-year old son and 4-year old daughter. They loved looking at the beautiful animals and learning about why water is so important. There's a beautiful peacock in this story that the kids remember so much. It was a great way to show the Indian jungle, animals and landscape and exposed them to an important world lesson to understand. This is going to be one of our favorite go-to books to read for many years!

Lovely story

It's a beautiful story with bright, vibrant illustrations sure to capture the interest of a young child. My 4 year old son loved it.

The story reminds us of our childhood, and the wonders of the nature. My son loves the story. Beautiful illustrations