Module 3 - Officer Buckle and Gloria

Summary: Officer Buckle is serious about safety. He lectures to crowds on the importance of being safe, but his lectures tend to put people to sleep. Enter Gloria, Officer Buckle's police dog. As Buckle gives his speech, Gloria mimes each safety tip behind him on stage. The audiences cheer, and Buckle thinks he's finally broken through. When he sees a clip of himself and Gloria on the news, he feels hurt, but eventually, Buckle comes to love working with Gloria because she helps him get his message across to all the people.


Rathmann, P. (1995). Officer Buckle and Gloria. New York, NY: Putnam Juvenile.


My Impressions:  The illustrations in this book are so charming. Gloria's antics are as funny for the reader as they are for the students at the school. The story is of a sweet relationship between a police officer and his dog. Ultimately, they decide that their styles can work together and decide that sticking with your buddy is the best safety tip of all. The end papers have great illustrations of Gloria acting out more of Officer Buckle's safety tips. There are plenty of jokes for the adults to enjoy in the background while the children laugh at Gloria's re-enactments of Officer Buckle's safety tips.

Reviews:

" Rathmann's high-voltage cartoons, outlined in black ink for punchy contrast, capture her characters' every feeling, from Gloria's hammy glee and Buckle's surprised satisfaction to Gloria's shame at having tricked her partner. In a sound and sensitive conclusion, Gloria's disastrous attempt to go solo inspires Buckle's 'best safety tip yet': 'Always stick with your buddy!'" - Publisher's Weekly

Officer Buckle and Gloria. (September 25, 1995). Publisher's Weekly. Retrieved September 9, 2011 from http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-399-22616-8.

 "Filled with both slapstick and subtle humor, Rathmann's Caldecott Medal-winning artwork makes this a fun read for all ages." -- Book Links

 Lempke, S. (2004). Officer Buckle and Gloria (Book). Book Links, 13(4), 40.

Uses in the Library:

This is a great book for Community Helpers week to read to young students about some of the other great things that police officers do.