Diane often remarks in her book reviews, and sometimes in our podcast, that she is astounded by the number of “children’s classics” her students today have no familiarity with. In my childhood, Dr. Seuss was commonplace, but the majority of the books that Diane reviews are either completely new to me or were books I discovered as a young mom.
When my children were very little, I realized how few truly excellent picture books I knew about. I did what most moms do. I went to the public library in the hopes of finding stacks of goodness that I could read again and again to my babies for our mutual enjoyment. Roaming the shelves unarmed, I did find stacks and stacks of books. Most, however, were pretty lame.
My local library did have, however, the Scholastic book videos. And, with a high-energy six-year-old and two littles behind him, I was delighted to have something I could put on the television that was wholesome and good while I showered or made lunch. We checked those videos out again and again until I had saved enough money to buy them second-hand for ourselves. (This dvd is just part of the series.) This is how I discovered Blueberries for Sal and Harold and the Purple Crayon and Corduroy.
When Greta and I were used-book treasure hunting this week, we came across Officer Buckle and Gloria. I may have squealed a little when I saw it! I lied up above. Ok, not lied exactly. I didn’t tell the full truth. I may have turned on those dvds for shower time and lunch prep . . . but I also frequently climbed on the couch with my babies to enjoy the videos too. And, Officer Buckle and Gloria, was one of my hands-down favorites. This Caldecott Medal book is just about perfect and absolutely demands many re-readings. It is the perfect blend of silly, sweet, and smart.
Officer Buckle is a policeman who gives safety lectures to school children. But, poor Officer Buckle is having a hard time making safety tips interesting to his audiences. One day, the police department assigns a K-9 unit to Officer Buckle, and Gloria is one smart doggie. When Officer Buckle makes his presentation to the school, suddenly the kids watch with rapt attention. Whenever Officer Buckle looks down at Gloria, she is sitting at perfect attention. When he is not looking, however, she is acting out each of the safety tips. Well, you can imagine what happens next.
This sweet story is so much fun! The illustrations are modern but inviting. The writing is solid. The story is right on point. I gave our copy away years ago when my babies were babies no longer. I had forgotten how much I missed it until rediscovering it this week! And, I may have also decided to buy some of those Scholastic dvds for my big babies and me to enjoy again. Because, you really are never too old for excellent picture books.