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Book Summary:
Officer Buckle is passionate about safety. He is always jotting down safety tips and tacking them to his bulletin award. He regularly presents his safety tips to students at Napville School, but they don’t share his passion; in fact, some of them even go to sleep during his lecture. This all changes when Officer Buckle gets a new partner, a police dog named Gloria. At his next school presentation, Officer Buckle is overjoyed when the students react to his presentation with clapping, hoots, and hollers. Instead of being boring Officer Buckle, he is transformed into a local safety celebrity. He even gets fan mail. Officer Buckle and Gloria bond. Unbeknownst to Officer Buckle, his new found success is largely due to the antics of his partner, Gloria, who pantomimes the dire consequences of not following the tips behind his back during the presentations. When Officer Buckle makes a television appearance and views the footage afterwards, he realizes that he is not entirely responsible for his success. His feelings are hurt, and he refuses to do the next presentation at Napville School, leaving a sad Gloria to do the honors by herself. All alone, Gloria does little and falls asleep, along with the rest of the audience. Then there is a big accident at the school; after this incident, another pile of letters arrives, addressed to Officer Buckle. The letters tell him how much he was missed and how he and Gloria together make a good team. Many of the letters cite Buckle’s safety tips, too, helping him realize that he has made a difference. Officer Buckle and Gloria make up and proceed to do presentations together at the school once more, and Officer Buckle even comes up with a new safety tip: “Always stick with your buddy” (Rathmann, 1995).
APA Reference:
Rathmann, P. (1995). Officer Buckle and Gloria. New York, NY: G.P. Putnam’s Sons.
Impressions:
This book reminded me a lot of my a father, an Army officer and volunteer fire officer, who regularly made safety presentations at my school when I was young, so that may be one reason why I loved it so much, but even from an objective standpoint, this book has much to offer. The illustrations do a lot to advance and extend the story line. For example, in the very first illustration we see Officer Buckley toppling off his own office chair while posting a new safety tip on his bulletin board. From this, readers can infer that Officer Buckley very often gets his tips from his own personal experience. On the third page of the book, after Officer Buckley has put an auditorium of elementary kids to sleep, the illustration extends the idea that his efforts to promote safety are having little effect. While the text on the page reinforces this idea (this Officer Buckle admonishes Mrs. Toppel not to stand on a rolling chair), the illustration shows a number of other safety mishaps, including a student slipping in a puddle of water, a student tripping over his/her own shoe laces, and a third student being brained in the head with a book. The illustrations are most effective at creating dramatic irony when Gloria joins Officer Buckle on stage. While the text communicates Officer Buckle’s experience of events, the illustrations reveal the scene from the students’ perspective, enriching the plot and building suspense with this secondary point of view. The illustrations also enhance the story by depicting the fan mail that Officer Buckle receives.
In addition to the fun, richly colored illustrations, the text is also well written. Characters names are chosen carefully to relate to their characters, or in the case of Mrs. Toppel, actually foreshadow what may happen. In the scene of the big accident later in the book, Rathman makes great use of onomatopoeia and alliteration to capture the sound of the disaster. The text is also formatted on the page in a way that suggests a tumble. Rathman also makes skillfully use of understatement. Instead of telling readers Buckle is hurt and jealous, Rathman shows them using a brief dialogue between the principal of Napville and Buckle, where Buckle exclaims, “Nobody looks at me, anyway.” By using understatement, Rathman allows readers to make their own inferences. The book conveys several themes, one of which is that sometimes two are better than one. Officer Buckle didn’t have much luck on his own, and neither does Gloria. This implies a rather sophisticated theme, that we each have unique talents to offer and often those individual talents are complemented by working with others. No one is good at everything. Gloria is entertaining, but she can’t come up with content without Buckle. All in all, this is fun book for everyone, adults and children alike. I know I plan to get a copy for my bookshelf!
Professional Review:
Horn Book Magazine:
Officer Buckle is a fine safety officer; the problem is that when he addresses school assemblies, he is so boring that he puts all the students to sleep and his wise maxims are ignored. Until the advent of Gloria, that is — a beautiful and affectionate police dog who accompanies Officer Buckle on his school visits When Officer Buckle says, "Sit!" Gloria sits. But when Officer Buckle turns his back on Gloria to address his audience, only the students see how Gloria acts out his hitherto deadly-dull safety tips. The children are ecstatic at Gloria's slapstick antics, but Officer Buckle thinks it is because of his expressive voice. Letters pour into the station, thanking Officer Buckle and Gloria and asking them to come to other schools. Alas, Officer Buckle's burgeoning career is dimmed one day when he sees a film of himself and Gloria on the news; he realizes that Gloria is really the star of the show. Sadly, he refuses to visit any more schools, but Gloria's solo show proves to be a dud. So they return as a pair, with a new safety tip: "Always stick with your buddy!" Besides the beguiling story, the affable illustrations of the smiling Gloria, the accidental mayhem in the background, and the myriad safety tips — such as "always pull the toothpick out of your sandwich" and "never lick a stop sign in the winter" — add to the enjoyment. A glorious picture book. - By Ann A. Flowers
Flowers, A.A. (1995). [Review of the book Officer Buckle and Gloria, by P.Rathmann]. Horn Book Magazine, 71(6), 736-737. Retrieved from ProQuest Database. https://libproxy.library.unt.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/199392946?accountid=7113
Library Uses:
Since this book focuses on safety, it is perfectly suited to frame a library or school-sponsored “Safety Week.” For example, you could provide some selected pictures of unsafe situations and ask students to write captions for them in the form of safety tips. This might be a good teachable moment to teach about imperative statements. You might also choose to have students identify areas of concern in their building or neighborhoods; then have students create their own wall of safety tips, similar to Officer Buckles. You could also have students work in small groups to perform Gloria skits. While some group members present tips, others can pantomime them, or use role play to act them out.
Give the rise of technology, children’s safety on the Internet is of paramount concern. This book deals with physically unsafe situations, but it could be used as a springboard to teach children about online or virtual situations that could put themselves at risk. To that end, students could maybe use Web 2.0 tools to collaborate on a class wiki for online safety tips. Making the product in a social, online environment will reinforce the lessons learned and provide an authentic learning experience.
Officer Buckle is passionate about safety. He is always jotting down safety tips and tacking them to his bulletin award. He regularly presents his safety tips to students at Napville School, but they don’t share his passion; in fact, some of them even go to sleep during his lecture. This all changes when Officer Buckle gets a new partner, a police dog named Gloria. At his next school presentation, Officer Buckle is overjoyed when the students react to his presentation with clapping, hoots, and hollers. Instead of being boring Officer Buckle, he is transformed into a local safety celebrity. He even gets fan mail. Officer Buckle and Gloria bond. Unbeknownst to Officer Buckle, his new found success is largely due to the antics of his partner, Gloria, who pantomimes the dire consequences of not following the tips behind his back during the presentations. When Officer Buckle makes a television appearance and views the footage afterwards, he realizes that he is not entirely responsible for his success. His feelings are hurt, and he refuses to do the next presentation at Napville School, leaving a sad Gloria to do the honors by herself. All alone, Gloria does little and falls asleep, along with the rest of the audience. Then there is a big accident at the school; after this incident, another pile of letters arrives, addressed to Officer Buckle. The letters tell him how much he was missed and how he and Gloria together make a good team. Many of the letters cite Buckle’s safety tips, too, helping him realize that he has made a difference. Officer Buckle and Gloria make up and proceed to do presentations together at the school once more, and Officer Buckle even comes up with a new safety tip: “Always stick with your buddy” (Rathmann, 1995).
APA Reference:
Rathmann, P. (1995). Officer Buckle and Gloria. New York, NY: G.P. Putnam’s Sons.
Impressions:
This book reminded me a lot of my a father, an Army officer and volunteer fire officer, who regularly made safety presentations at my school when I was young, so that may be one reason why I loved it so much, but even from an objective standpoint, this book has much to offer. The illustrations do a lot to advance and extend the story line. For example, in the very first illustration we see Officer Buckley toppling off his own office chair while posting a new safety tip on his bulletin board. From this, readers can infer that Officer Buckley very often gets his tips from his own personal experience. On the third page of the book, after Officer Buckley has put an auditorium of elementary kids to sleep, the illustration extends the idea that his efforts to promote safety are having little effect. While the text on the page reinforces this idea (this Officer Buckle admonishes Mrs. Toppel not to stand on a rolling chair), the illustration shows a number of other safety mishaps, including a student slipping in a puddle of water, a student tripping over his/her own shoe laces, and a third student being brained in the head with a book. The illustrations are most effective at creating dramatic irony when Gloria joins Officer Buckle on stage. While the text communicates Officer Buckle’s experience of events, the illustrations reveal the scene from the students’ perspective, enriching the plot and building suspense with this secondary point of view. The illustrations also enhance the story by depicting the fan mail that Officer Buckle receives.
In addition to the fun, richly colored illustrations, the text is also well written. Characters names are chosen carefully to relate to their characters, or in the case of Mrs. Toppel, actually foreshadow what may happen. In the scene of the big accident later in the book, Rathman makes great use of onomatopoeia and alliteration to capture the sound of the disaster. The text is also formatted on the page in a way that suggests a tumble. Rathman also makes skillfully use of understatement. Instead of telling readers Buckle is hurt and jealous, Rathman shows them using a brief dialogue between the principal of Napville and Buckle, where Buckle exclaims, “Nobody looks at me, anyway.” By using understatement, Rathman allows readers to make their own inferences. The book conveys several themes, one of which is that sometimes two are better than one. Officer Buckle didn’t have much luck on his own, and neither does Gloria. This implies a rather sophisticated theme, that we each have unique talents to offer and often those individual talents are complemented by working with others. No one is good at everything. Gloria is entertaining, but she can’t come up with content without Buckle. All in all, this is fun book for everyone, adults and children alike. I know I plan to get a copy for my bookshelf!
Professional Review:
Horn Book Magazine:
Officer Buckle is a fine safety officer; the problem is that when he addresses school assemblies, he is so boring that he puts all the students to sleep and his wise maxims are ignored. Until the advent of Gloria, that is — a beautiful and affectionate police dog who accompanies Officer Buckle on his school visits When Officer Buckle says, "Sit!" Gloria sits. But when Officer Buckle turns his back on Gloria to address his audience, only the students see how Gloria acts out his hitherto deadly-dull safety tips. The children are ecstatic at Gloria's slapstick antics, but Officer Buckle thinks it is because of his expressive voice. Letters pour into the station, thanking Officer Buckle and Gloria and asking them to come to other schools. Alas, Officer Buckle's burgeoning career is dimmed one day when he sees a film of himself and Gloria on the news; he realizes that Gloria is really the star of the show. Sadly, he refuses to visit any more schools, but Gloria's solo show proves to be a dud. So they return as a pair, with a new safety tip: "Always stick with your buddy!" Besides the beguiling story, the affable illustrations of the smiling Gloria, the accidental mayhem in the background, and the myriad safety tips — such as "always pull the toothpick out of your sandwich" and "never lick a stop sign in the winter" — add to the enjoyment. A glorious picture book. - By Ann A. Flowers
Flowers, A.A. (1995). [Review of the book Officer Buckle and Gloria, by P.Rathmann]. Horn Book Magazine, 71(6), 736-737. Retrieved from ProQuest Database. https://libproxy.library.unt.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/199392946?accountid=7113
Library Uses:
Since this book focuses on safety, it is perfectly suited to frame a library or school-sponsored “Safety Week.” For example, you could provide some selected pictures of unsafe situations and ask students to write captions for them in the form of safety tips. This might be a good teachable moment to teach about imperative statements. You might also choose to have students identify areas of concern in their building or neighborhoods; then have students create their own wall of safety tips, similar to Officer Buckles. You could also have students work in small groups to perform Gloria skits. While some group members present tips, others can pantomime them, or use role play to act them out.
Give the rise of technology, children’s safety on the Internet is of paramount concern. This book deals with physically unsafe situations, but it could be used as a springboard to teach children about online or virtual situations that could put themselves at risk. To that end, students could maybe use Web 2.0 tools to collaborate on a class wiki for online safety tips. Making the product in a social, online environment will reinforce the lessons learned and provide an authentic learning experience.