I bought this for my twin grandsons' 2nd birthday. We've read it several times a week for the last 6 months, usually at their request. I was happily surprised to see that they understood the concept and we apply it to what they do. When one gives a favorite toy to the other we say, "look at his face, he's smiling and happy, YOU are filling his bucket". When one grabs something and runs, we explain the dipping. I often ask the boys when they do something if they think they are filling or emptying a bucket, and they usually get it right. I love that they understand that concept already. We like this book so much that we gave it to several friends' children for Christmas this past year.

It would be nice if the writing could get some editing to flow more smoothly, but the story and the illustrations are great. I read the critical reviews comparing it to Dr Seuss drawings (our home is filled with well-loved Dr Seuss books) but we disagree with the criticism. The illustrations here are simple because the focus should be on the bucket and seeing how we fill or empty it by our actions. If the page was filled with color and activity, that focus would be lost.