
4 out of 4 stars
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Cooper is a dog adopted from an animal shelter. Unlike the typical pet, dog tricks are not his thing. What he enjoys are the fun activities of the family. He acts and thinks like a human. Find out what happens when they tell Cooper he is a dog.
Please Don’t Tell Cooper He’s A Dog is a colorful storybook for children and advocates pet adoption. It is the creative collaboration of the author, Michelle Lander Feinberg, and illustrator, Anna Mosca.
The words rhyme, which helps young readers get familiar with the language. There are only two lines on each page, allowing enough space for the illustrations. It produces a neat and organized layout. The texts do not overlap with the drawings, so it does not strain the eyes while reading. The illustrations relate to the lines on every page. The contrast in colors gives the spotlight to Cooper. The background uses pastel colors while Cooper is in solid black. The texts are also in black, but Cooper still stands out. The first item a child spots on a page is Cooper. The thoughtful composition of the pages and the use of colors is what I like most.
Parents will appreciate the book. Aside from the advocacy mentioned above, the story teaches children that having pets comes with responsibilities. Kids should care for their pets and provide attention to them. Likewise, young readers will enjoy the story. The activities of the family are familiar and relatable. The activities are not limited to playtime. There are also school work, exercise, sports, and entertainment, to name a few. The siblings in the story seem to have ages that are within the target audience. It makes the kids identify with them. Also, there are no obnoxious characters in the story.
The title is catchy and funny. However, my concern is the possible interpretation. It may sound like not accepting who we are and acting like someone we are not. I think we have to embrace who we are and let others accept us, despite our differences. It is the only thing I dislike in the book. Adults may explain it to the young audience.
The language is clean and free from any offensive words. This book is suitable for children between the ages 2-8 years old. Reading with the whole family will be more enjoyable. Animal shelters may equally find this book helpful in encouraging pet adoption.
The editing is neat except for minimal and almost negligible punctuation issues. Although I have some reservations about the title, the book achieves its goal in promoting its advocacy. It uses the creative combination of text and illustration to get the message across. That said, I gladly give 4 out of 4 stars.
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Please Don't Tell Cooper He's A Dog
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