"Officer Buckle and Gloria" Reflection

Officer Buckle and Gloria

Rathman, P. (1995). Officer Buckle and Gloria. New York, New York: Scholastic Inc.

Genre: picture book, fiction

In this lighthearted story book, Officer Buckle is a local police officer who goes around to schools sharing safety tips. Although his tips were important, very few students and teachers actually listened to his speeches. This was until he found his new police dog, Gloria. Gloria was a crowd favorite during Officer Buckle's speeches, doing jumps and flips during the speech. Suddenly, Officer Buckle was very popular! Every school, daycare through college, wanted Officer Buckle to come share his safety tips with them. Officer Buckle didn't realize why he go the sudden fame until he watched one of his speeches on the local news. He realize no one was really watching him, all they wanted to see was Gloria! When the two buddies tried to separate it didn't work out for either of them. In the end, Officer Buckle and Gloria continued working as a team and safety was restore to the town.

This story would be wonderful for anyone ages 4-10. All kids love a silly story, and this one even has the benefit of teaching some safety tips as well! It also has an underlying theme of teamwork. When Officer Buckle and Gloria worked as a team everyone was entertained AND they were safe! When the pair tried to go their separate ways, neither of them could get the job done alone. This also led to his final rule, "Safety Tip 101: Always Stick With Your Buddy" (pg. 30).

This story would be a great read aloud to use when teaching about theme, friendship, safety, or friendship (depending on the grade level). Here are some various reading response questions that could be used in different grades:

1. Why did Officer Buckle go around to different schools? (K-1)
2. What made the kids start listening to Officer Buckle's speeches once Gloria started coming along? (1-2)
3. Describe Gloria, what kind of dog was she? Use examples from the story to support your answer. (2-4)
4. What is the theme (lesson) that Officer Buckle and Gloria teaches? Use examples from the story to support your answer. (3-4)