You will find many creative activities based on each book to make reading even more enjoyable and interactive.

This books is brilliant in getting children to use their imagination and seeing what they can find in their own bucket. In many ways it reinforces the idea that this book was written to be read aloud and enjoyed by groups of children all listening to it together in unison. I read a very funny review about this book, whereby a parent wrote that children can learn disastrous things can happen when people do not listen to what they have been told, just like Billy telling his parents never to use his bucket. When Billy fills his bucket with water, it sets in motion mystical forces that defy the laws of nature.We finished the day reading one of our favourite stories from the Autumn term, Somebody Swallowed Stanley. He sees many different sea animals at the bottom of his bucket, whilst his parents laugh away at what he's describing. It’s great if you have plastic ocean creatures but other small plastic toys would be fun as well, after all it is a magic bucket! But Mum and Dad are sceptical and, when Dad unwittingly uses the bucket to clean his car, he's in for a big surprise! The premise of the story (a young boy wanting a bucket for his birthday) captivates the reader, and it keeps us right up until the end.

His parents take him to ‘Buckets-R-Us’, where there are buckets of every kind but Billy is looking for one particular bucket; a special bucket. During our English lessons, we thought about what we would like inside our magic bucket, we identified features of an invitation and wrote our own birthday party invitations. Once children have heard the story a few times they can be encouraged to retell the story in their own words using the pictures to guide them. Anyone would think that Billy is just using his imagination once they hear what he says is in the bucket but he is actually telling the truth! I, for one know that many early years teachers have read this book aloud to nursery, reception and year one children, and they have all absolutely loved it.It is even a very fun book for adults to read, as it really arouses your curiosity the very first time that you read it.

Unfortunately for Billy's parents they do not heed to Billy's advice, which is very clear, "You must never ever borrow my bucket. The genius is in its simplicity; the whole focus on something as simple as a bucket enhances the engaging element to the book. This book could be used as an opening lesson to creative writing, allowing children to recreate their own stories and their own magical watery worlds to share with their peers. The illustrations that go along with the story really let you the reader dive right into Billy’s magical watery world.In the same way as the game I went to market and I bought adds a new item with each turn play ‘In Billy’s bucket there was’ with children. Parents need to make sure they are listening to their children and allowing them to play as they please. This week, Year 1 have read the story ‘Billy’s Bucket’ and thought about the seaside in our Geography topic. Children could bring in their own buckets and decide what kind of things they would like to imagine being inside it. This is such a lovely, beautiful, light-hearted story that gets your brain thinking as to why a boy would want a bucket for his birthday.

His parents laugh it off, but when they borrow the bucket, they have a whale of a problem on their hands. When Billy brings the bucket home, he describes all the sea life that he observes swimming around inside. If read aloud to a group, I really feel that it will breathe animation to the words on the pages of the book.

This is a classic 'low thresh-hold, high ceiling' book which can be used as a basis to form many activities - from arts and craft such as filling their own bucket, to deeper discussion delving around the need to accumulate the more typical 'stuff'.