A Bucket of Blessings    by Kabir Sehgal & Surishtha Sehgal Order:  USA  Can Beach Lane, 2014 (2014) Hardcover     Reviewed by Bob Walch This picture book retells an Indian myth about how a young monkey reacts to a dry pond and water hole by seeking the assistance of a peacock that can reputedly bring rain. The monkey consults the peacock but is told the bird needs a little water to work his magic. When the monkey discovers a hidden spring, he fills a bucket with water and heads back to where he talked to the peacock. Unfortunately, much of the precious water leaks out of the bucket. I'll stop here and let you discover what happens when the well meaning monkey reaches his destination. This is a simple story that will engage a child once or twice, but beyond that I am not sure if it will continue to delight the young reader. Picture books rely on illustrations to continually bring the child back to the book and the illustrations here are OK but nothing exceptional. The central character doesn't really appear to be a monkey (monkey boy might be a better description). In fact, I thought he was a child wearing some type of armor when I first opened the book. On the other hand, the art is very colorful and the peacock really does arrest the viewer's eye. Perhaps the vibrant colors will appeal to young readers enough to bring them back again and again. In a different context, this book would be a nice addition to a teacher's unit on myth and legend. In a classroom setting it would be very appropriate for reading to the youngsters. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Kids books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews