Kiiroi baketsu

One day, a fox cub is walking by a log bridge when he finds a yellow bucket. He had wanted a bucket for some time, and this one is new, shiny, and perfectly sized. However, the cub is uneasy about taking it because it has no name on it and might belong to someone else. He decides to ask a bunny and a bear cub what he should do, and they tell him to wait for a week and take it for himself if no one comes to claim it by the following Monday. While he waits, the fox cub goes to check on the bucket several times a day, enjoying some solitary play. From time to time he picks it up and imagines using it for different things, like holding the fish he catches or carrying apples around to give to his friends. When Monday finally rolls around, the fox cub returns to the spot by the bridge to find the bucket gone. The bunny and the bear cub offer words of consolation, knowing that the fox cub must be sad. However, the fox cub shrugs off his disappointment, satisfied simply to recollect that the bucket was his and his alone for a whole week—and a fun week it was, too!

    The fox cub’s love for the yellow bucket shines through in everything he does, imbuing the character with a pure, endearing innocence. Through the story, the reader understands how simply continuing to love and care for something—even if you might not be able to call it your own—can be reward enough. Every page includes a charming illustration, warmly capturing the fox cub’s adorable innocence, making the story easy for beginning readers to understand. The book was followed by four sequels about the fox cub’s further adventures. (FY)