Billy's Bucket is a children's book written by Kes Gray and illustrated by Garry Parsons. It tells the story of a little boy called Billy, and his wild imagination.

I bought this book last November in a little 'Bits and bob's' shop that were selling children's books for a mere £1. The book is however retailed at £5.99.

Each page is beautifully illustrated in bright bold colours, the whole page covered with images, and the words (story) printed on top of the pictures. Not a space is wasted.

The book is a paperback style. The pages are not numbered, but there are 13 pages of the actual story to turn over. I think this is a nice size for young children that cannot sit still for too long. I would say this book is suitable for children aged 3-7.

The front of the book informs me that Billy's Bucket is 'Winner of the children's book award'. I think this is rather reassuring as to the quality of the book.

The story-

The book tells the story of a little boy 'Billy', who tells his parents that he would like a bucket for his birthday. He dismisses his parents suggestions of other, bigger presents such as a computer game or a bike, and sticks firmly to his desire for a bucket!
His parents cave in and decide to buy him his much desired bucket. They take him on a shopping trip to 'Buckets R Us' and let him choose his perfect bucket. Billy isn't sure exactly what bucket he would like, but says he will know when he sees it.
He finally finds the perfect yellow bucket at the very top of the shelves. He claims that it is a very special bucket, unlike the other ones. Once home Billy fills his bucket with water and excitedly peers inside.
Billy claims to be able to see many things inside his bucket, including a shark, two submarines and seven sea lions.
His parents smile at each-other and jeer Billy along, asking 'Billy, what can you see in your bucket now?' They then ask if they can borrow his bucket to water the plants, or wash the car, to which Billy firmly replies 'NO! You must NEVER EVER borrow my bucket'.

I will stop there, as I don't want to ruin the end of the story!

All I will say is that there is a rather unexpected twist at the end of the book. Was Billy really just imagining the sea creatures? Or were they real all along?

My children's reaction to the book-

The book proved to be too long for my two year old who would only sit through the first few pages, before wandering off to play with his toys. My 4 year old son however really enjoyed this book, and sat and listened patiently throughout. He became quite involved in the story. When Billy was choosing his bucket, my son was pointing out his favourite bucket, aswell as showing me which bucket I liked. He was also able to point at the pictures and 'name' some of the animals to me, such as shark and whale. He also learned some new words, such as pilchard and string ray.

My son added his thoughts to the book, when the shop assistant was climbing the ladder, he said that she needed to be careful. And when Billy filled his bucket with water, my son said 'don't spill it'!

My son wasn't the only one that enjoyed this book! I found myself intrigued by the story, and found myself laughing alongside Billy's parents, as Billy kept telling them what he could see inside his bucket.

I really like the style of the writing, which contains lots of narrative speech. This enables me to be more expressive with my reading, which is more interesting for my child to listen to. I also like the creative way the writing is presented on some pages, with swirly circles and spirals of words. It is not only visually interesting but also more exciting to read.

Kes Gray has created a wonderful imaginative story, in a nice simple format that both children and parents will love! This book has by far become the favourite book in our household. I would be quite happy to read this book again and again!