Since her first book Have You Filled a Bucket Today? A Guide to Daily Happiness for Kids was published in 2006, Carol McCloud, a nationally acclaimed author and Venice resident, has inspired millions of people of all ages to become daily “bucket fillers” through her books, seminars, and other publications. Her nine children’s books have sold three million copies worldwide and are used in schools around the world as their primary character development program. As an author, speaker, and early childhood specialist, McCloud says her goal is to help all ages and occupations grow in kindness, self-control, resilience, and forgiveness. On November 8, through a partnership with Sarasota County schools, Embracing Our Differences is coordinating 150 volunteers to read from “Bucket Filler” books to more than 3,000 students in 180 kindergarten through third grade classes in Sarasota County. 

Sarah Wertheimer, EOD’s executive director, says they all possess distinct identifying traits. “A ‘bucket filler’ is somebody who spontaneously shares compliments and spreads positive vibes without being asked,” she says. “Carol McCloud invented the concept—and her ‘Bucket Fillers’ series of children’s books spells it out delightfully. Carol asks children to imagine that everyone possesses an invisible bucket they can fill up with kindness, support and love. It’s a beautiful idea for children—and I think it works for adults, too.”

Embracing Our Differences' annual juried international art exhibit returns to Sarasota's Bayfront Park, January 18 through April 5. For more information about Embracing Our Differences, call 941-404-5710, or visit embracingourdifferences.org.