Officer Buckle and Gloria

About the Book

Officer Buckle knows a lot of safety tips that he passes on to the students at Napville School, who barely pay attention. But when he brings along his new police dog, Gloria, the kids sit up and take notice at the safety assemblies. The delighted Officer Buckle doesn’t realize is that Gloria is behind him on stage, performing hilarious consequences of ignoring safety rules. What will happen when he figures out that Gloria’s the star of the show? The scene where he figures it out is especially priceless.

Why this Book?

Admittedly, I was on the committee that awarded this book the Caldecott Medal. But I would recommend it anyway. Kids love it, starting with the safety tips on the endpapers and ending with the best safety tip of all: “Always stick with your buddy.” They pore over the cartoon-like art, which is packed full of humorous details. The narrative never mentions Gloria’s antics–they’re just in the pictures. Children enjoy knowing what Officer Buckle, an adult, doesn’t. Gloria’s like an exuberant child who means well but gets carried away. And Officer Buckle’s an adult who has real emotions. Such a treat!