The Bucket is a deeply personal memoir by Allan Ahlberg that reflects on his childhood after being adopted as a baby in 1930s London and raised in an industrial town during the 1940s. Through a mix of prose, poetry, photographs, and illustrations, Ahlberg revisits his early life in a working-class household shaped by hardship, affection, and secrecy surrounding his adoption. He describes his parents, school experiences, and everyday moments with a blend of honesty, emotion, and nostalgia, capturing both the difficulties and warmth of his upbringing. The book also reflects on how growing up in a modest, sometimes deprived environment shaped his imagination and later success as a celebrated children’s author. Richly illustrated and emotionally powerful, it offers a moving portrait of memory, identity, and family history