Picture Books for Peace, Part 6: This One's a Keeper

Did you ever find a picture book that left you with a warm fuzzy feeling after you read it? One that just made you feel good inside, kind of like a rainbow on a cloudy day?

There are many great picture books, and they come in many forms, but there are a select few that leave such an impression that you know you'll carry them with you forever. Such is the case for me with Have You Filled a Bucket Today: A Guide to Daily Happiness for Kids, by Carol McCloud.

It's not the form of this book that strikes me most (although I love the idea of colorful hearts and stars popping into buckets), but the unforgettable substance of the content.

The book starts out with the simple idea that everyone carries an imaginary bucket. If the bucket is full of good thoughts, the person will be happy, but if the bucket is empty, the person will be sad.

• A "bucket filler" fills not only other people's buckets with kind words and deeds, but also his or her own bucket.

• A "bucket dipper" removes positive thoughts from someone else's bucket in order to try to fill his or her own bucket, but it doesn't work that way. You can only add to your own bucket if you fill, and don't dip into, someone else's.

The author provides many examples of "bucket filling" and "bucket dipping," which should prompt much discussion and reflection.

What I love about this bucket metaphor is that it's presented in a way that people of every age (especially young children) will be able to relate to and remember. It will not only spark much discussion among generations of family members, but it's a concept that everyone can learn from.

I think this picture book is a perfect gift for the holiday season, which can be a time of great joy or sadness for people. The more giving we are, and the more buckets we fill, the happier we will all be.

If you'd like to learn more about this award-winning picture book, which has even inspired some wonderful school assemblies, you can find the Bucket Fillers web site here. There you can also discover who came up with the bucket metaphor originally.

Can you think of a special picture book that brings you peace and happiness? Please do share!