Officer Buckle and Gloria

Officer Buckle and Gloria
Written and Illustrated by Peggy Rathmann
Caldecott Winner
*****
Ages 5-9

Officer Buckle is an expert on safety tips but no one at Napville school is interested in his safety speeches, until he brings his police dog Gloria.  Soon Officer Buckle's speeches are a huge success, until he realizes Gloria is the star of the show.  In the end Gloria and Buckle realize they do not work without each other and come up with the best safety tip yet "Always stick with your buddy!"

I love how much children love this book.  The story of Officer Buckle and Gloria is so simple but so charming.  Buckle and Gloria play of each other perfectly, one serious the other irresistibly playful.  I remember the Officer Buckle of middle school who took himself too seriously and  meant we got a whole assembly to talk to our friends.  Reading this story now I feel a little sorry for Buckle and Gloria is just the buddy he needs.  Gloria is the star of the show as you wait to see what new antic she will execute for the next safety tip and she never fails to make you smile.  The illustrations are not busy yet they have so much expression and detail!  Every time I flip through the book I find another little hidden joke in the pictures.  My favorite is the full spread of Buckle and Gloria in his home.  You see how obsessed with safety Buckle is with his safety plaques, trophies, even pajama pants with stop/yield signs.  It is a little sad, you never really want to know about the private life of teachers as a kid.  However you also see the bookends which resemble Gloria and her look of sympathy as Buckle realizes her shenanigans. 

Teachers and children love this book so there are a lot of resources on the web to teach with the story.  However many of them focus around school safety or using the book to learn vocabulary.  I think these lessons really miss the point and take the fun out of the story.  I might use the story to discuss safety tips, what is necessary, what is silly and why we have rules.  However I would really focus on the friendship between Buckle and Gloria.  I read this book to younger readers and ask them why the characters are sad when they are not together and what makes them good buddies.  We would work on personal responses about what we think friendship is and our friends maybe drawing our ideas in response.