Officer Buckle and Gloria

Officer Buckle and Gloria
Written and Illustrated by Peggy Rathmann
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
2005
Grade Levels:K-2
Theme: Friendship and Safety

Summary: Officer Buckle knows all about safety. He loves sharing his safety tips, but nobody seems to listen. The police department purchased a dog named Gloria. Officer Buckle brings Gloria where ever he goes. Suddenly, everyone wants to hear Officer Buckle's safety speech. Officer Buckle begins to feel that everyone would rather watch Gloria than listen to him. He vows to give up his safety tips, but Gloria convinces her friend that the people of Napville still need him.

Reflection:This is a funny book about safety, teamwork and friendship. Children will love seeing all of Gloria's tricks. The ending is very cute because all of the children write to Officer Buckle telling him they need him back and Gloria convinces him to begin sharing his safety tips again. The illustrations are perfect at complimenting the text on each page.

Pre-Reading: We will brainstorm on chart paper some safety problems, why they are problems and what the solutions could be for the problems.

Post-Reading:  The children will make safety posters. They will each get to pick a safety tip that we went over in class and design a poster like one they saw in the book. They will do their best work and use lots of colors because I will hang them in the classroom.

About the Author: 

Peggy Rathmann is from Minnesota. She attended many colleges and majored in psychology, commercial art, fine art and children's book illustrations. Rathmann received a Caldecott Medal in 1996 for Officer Buckle and Gloria. Peggy lives in San Francisco with her husband, but she travels all over the US entertaining children with drawing demonstrations.