If you or your children are animal lovers, make sure you have Peggy Rathmann’s Caldecott winning Officer Buckle and Gloria in your library. This book, about a police officer and his trusty dog, never fails to make me smile.
Officer Buckle is sent off to schools to share safety tips with students, and he usually bores his audience to tears. Enter Gloria, the police department’s new dog, who begins to accompany Officer Buckle to his presentations. Suddenly, the audience comes alive every time the officer speaks! While he grows proud of his public speaking abilities, the reader quickly recognizes that maybe Officer Buckle’s presentations are getting a little help from his new companion.
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Aside from the (albeit) humorous safety tips than will provide fun teaching points for your little ones, the best thing about this book is that there are essentially two narratives going on, as the bright and lively illustrations tell a markedly different story from the text. The result? Squeals and giggles from your kids as they realize, before our favorite officer, that Gloria has her own agenda. I can all but guarantee that your kids won’t be the only ones laughing when you read this together. Five stars!
Want the book? Get it here! Officer Buckle and Gloria, by Peggy Rathmann. *This is an affiliate link.
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