Ellisville resident and Maryland Heights Police Department Officer Ryan Schneider authored a new book titled A Day With Officer Treetop On Patrol. "My family was a big inspiration. When my two children were growing up, I read to them but none of our books really explained what police officers do day to day. I wanted to create something that'd help them and other kids better understand that," he explains.
In the book, readers meet Officer Treetop, a police officer portrayed as a giraffe in the town of Greenwood (derived from Wildwood), and join him during an exciting day on patrol as he teaches bike safety to kids. Officer Ryan says because he's 6-feet-5-inches tall, he wanted the character to loosely reflect him. "A giraffe felt like the perfect fit for Officer Treetop and helped bring a fun, memorable visual to the story."
"Kids get to see Officer Treetop roll into action, and learn about how his hobby is keeping people safe," explains Officer Ryan. "One of the most rewarding parts has been reading the book to my own kids and seeing them connect with what I do as a police officer."
He says another motivation for writing the book for 3-5 year olds was to show young audiences the positive aspects of law enforcement. To date, he's conducted eight author visits, seven in the St. Louis region and one in Chicago.
The book released in December, and is available for purchase from Amazon.