Officer Buckle and Gloria

I think you can often tell in the first paragraph whether a book has star power, and the opening of "Officer Buckle" is among the all-time greats.

Officer Buckle knew more safety tips than anyone else in Napville.

Each time he thought of a new one, he thumbtacked it to his bulletin board.

SAFETY TIP #77: NEVER stand on a SWIVEL CHAIR.

Each sentence is more ridiculous than the last, and there is a buildup to the punchline: the image of Buckle tumbling from his own swivel chair.

Buckle travels to schools, but the kids don't listen to him. It's only when he acquires a dog--Gloria--that he attains a real audience. Kids suddenly seem to tune in. Buckle assumes this is because of his own charisma--but, really, Gloria is gently poking fun at the lecture .... poking fun "from the shadows."

Tension gathers around the edges of the story; an eruption occurs. The ending is surprising and inevitable. There is a "message," but it's handled with a light touch, and it's a message worth hearing: Always be willing to laugh at yourself.

"Officer Buckle" counts as a "mic drop" work; it holds your attention from start to finish. If God is in the details, then this book outdoes itself with its reference to crash helmets and banana pudding. I'm a fan.

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