NOVEMBER is Child Safety and Protection Month. So I thought it might be a great idea, for Perfect Picture Book Friday, to review an oldie, but goodie, by Peggy Rathmann.

But first, a couple of important announcements:

1. Hallweensie Contest Update: I hope everyone will head over to Susanna Hill’s blog this weekend…all of the Halloweensie Contest entries are available to read. And next week, Susanna will be posting the finalists…you WON’T want to miss VOTING! Just think…two opportunities to VOTE…and with the craziness that’s surrounded our nation’s Presidential race, I’m thinking that picking  your favorite Halloweensie entry will be a much more pleasant task than picking the next President of the United States.
2. Giveaway Updatte: At the end of this post I’ll be announcing the winner of A Morning with Grandpa, the beautiful debut picture book by Sylvia Liu.
3. Sweet Dreams, Sarah Update: I’m really excited to be part of a group of 2017 debut picture book authors…we’ve got a new website where teachers, librarians, parents, and all book-lovers will find information about the upcoming book launches, events, and other book-related activities. I encourage you to visit, follow, and fill out the survey…there will be PRIZES! And we also have a Twitter home: @PictureTheBooks…I hope you will hop over and like us.

OFFICER BUCKLE AND GLORIA

Written and illustrated by Peggy Rathmann

Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons (1995)

Ages: 4-8

Themes:

Safety, teamwork

Synopsis:

From Amazon:

Officer Buckle is a roly-poly bloke, dedicated to teaching schoolchildren important safety tips, such as never put anything in your ear and never stand on a swivel chair. The problem is, Officer Buckle’s school assemblies are dull, dull, dull, and the children of Napville just sleep, sleep, sleep. That is, until Gloria the police dog is invited along! Stealthily pantomiming each safety tip behind Officer Buckle’s back, Gloria wins the children’s hearts. Meanwhile Officer Buckle assumes the cheers and laughter are all for him. As the master comedian Jerry Lewis once explained, every slapstick artist needs a straight man! Children will be highly entertained by the laugh-out-loud, adorable illustrations in this 1996 Caldecott Medal winner, while learning the value of teamwork and a pawful of nifty safety tips.

Opening Lines:

“Officer Buckle knew ore safety tips than anyone else in Napville.”

 Why I like this book:

• This book is hilariously funny…Officer Buckle has no clue that Gloria, his dog, is creating the stir among the students…he thinks it is his brilliant presentation.
• Wonderful illustrations mesh perfectly with the text.
• It won the Caldecott…enough said.

RELATED ACTIVITIES

1. Talk about safety in the home…walk through the house with your child and make a list of things that need to be attended to…and then do them.
2. More safety tips here: http://www.parentguidenews.com/Articles/NovemberBringsChildSafety PreventionMonth

Have a wonderful weekend! I’m going to really enjoy this month…did you know it is also Peanut Butter Lovers Month! But Peanut Butter isn’t the only type of nut butter you can enjoy…I’m a fan of Almond Butter and Sunflower Butter. My favorite way to eat it is slathered on apple slices. YUM! How about you? What type of nut butter is your favorite?

And next week I’ll be flying to Florida to attend my daughter’s destination wedding on St. Pete’s Beach…I’m pretty excited, as you can imagine. Can hardly keep things straight.

Oh, wait a minute…that’s right…we need to announce who won the copy of A Morning with Grandpa.

AND THE WINNER IS:

KELLY LANIHAN

Kelly, congratulations!!! And I will contact you by email so I can get your address.

Stay tuned, dear readers…later this month we’ll be welcoming Emma Bland Smith to the Will Write for Cookies spotlight…and another giveaway…of her debut picture book, JOURNEY.