Officer Buckle and Gloria

Author: Peggy Rathmann

Title: Officer Buckle and Gloria
Illustrator: Peggy Rathmann

Genre: Picture Book

Subgenre: Teamwork and Education

Theme: The importance of having good team work.

Primary and secondary characters: Primary- Officer Buckle and Gloria, Secondary- The student and principal at the school

Award(s) date of publication: Caldecott, 1995

Publishing Company: Putnam Books

Brief Summary and how I would use this book with students: Officer Buckle and Gloria is a book about a police officer named Officer Buckle who goes around to different schools and teaches the students about safety. The problem is that every time he does most of the students fall asleep. Until one day, Officer Buckle has to take along Gloria the police dog. While Office Buckle is educating the students on safety Gloria does tricks behind his back. This grabs the children’s attention and everyone is awake and seems to be paying full attention to Officer Buckle, when really they are focused on Gloria. Officer Buckle thinks that the students enjoy his teaching until one day he sees a video and realizes what Gloria has been doing. Out of anger, he refuses to do anymore classes on safety until one of the students sends him a note telling him how much she enjoyed his teaching and Gloria’s tricks as well. From then on Officer Buckle and Gloria begin to go around to all the school together. I can use this book in my classroom to teach my students that no matter what you are learning if you make it fun then you will learn a lot more. Gloria was only trying to help Officer Buckle by drawing in the students’ attention. This can also teach the students about teamwork. If you work together instead of against your teammate the chances of success are much higher.