The Bucket

"The Bucket" is a deeply personal and reflective memoir by renowned children's author Allan Ahlberg, recounting his childhood in 1938 Oldbury, England. He shares his experiences of being adopted and navigating a family dynamic with "two mothers, two fathers," likening himself to a "parcel" passed between them. The book uses a unique blend of prose and poetry, complemented by new drawings from his daughter Jessica and old family photographs, to evoke the "fugitive memories" that inspired his classic works. It's an insightful read for parents and older children interested in the origins of creativity, the complexities of family, and the experience of adoption, offering a gentle yet profound exploration of identity and belonging.

In 1938 Allan Ahlberg was picked up in London by his new adoptive mother and taken back to Oldbury in the Black Country. Now one of the most successful children's book writers in the world, here Allan writes of an oddly enchanted childhood lived out in an industrial town; of a tough and fiercely protective mother; of fearsome bacon slicers; of 'fugitive memories, the ones that shimmer on the edges of things: trapdoors in the grass, Dad's dancing overalls'. Of 'two mothers, two fathers and me like a parcel or a baton (or a hot potato!) passed between them'. Using a mix of prose and poetry, supported by new drawings by his daughter Jessica and old photographs, THE BUCKET brings to life the childhood that inspired Allan's classic picture books.