A Bucket of Blessings

K-Gr 3—Near a beautiful mountain, in a jungle where mango trees grow, lives Monkey. It has not rained for weeks, and both the well and pond are dry. Monkey and his animal neighbors look and look, but there is no water to be found. Eventually, he remembers a story his mother once told about how dancing peacocks can bring rain. So he sets out to climb the mountain to see if Peacock can help bring water to the village. Peacock, however, says he needs water to help make it rain. "Can you find me some?" asks Peacock, and Monkey agrees to try. Lucky Monkey finds a hidden cave with a spring, gets his bucket, and heads back up the mountain. Passing all the animals along the way, he thinks things are beginning to look up, until he discovers that his bucket has a hole. There are only a few drops of water left. Nevertheless, the water spilled along the way is enough to make the land magically bloom. He pours the last few drops onto Peacock's head, who spreads his beautifully colored tail feathers and dances. The rains return. Based on an Indian myth, the story is one of perseverance and hope in the midst of trouble. The colorful illustrations have been rendered with block prints in combination with digital enhancements. A nice addition to folklore collections.—Roxanne Burg, Orange County Public Library, CA