This is the second book in the Cooper the Dog series, written by Michelle Lander Feinberg to promote animal adoption. In the first book, Cooper is adopted by a family and is treated more like a human than a dog. Cooper is now ready to make a new friend and Jack, the rabbit hops by at just the right time. Once Jack realizes that Cooper just wants to be friends, they become inseparable. Luckily mom lets Jack become part of the family. You would never know that they were two different species as they enjoy the same things. This is a cute book that promotes positive pet ownership as well as accepting differences. Even though Cooper and Jack are very different, they are still best of friends, a positive message to kids. I did find that my grandchildren didn't get the message on their own, but we had a great discussion after finishing the story. The illustrations are large, colourful, amusing and detailed, adding much to the story. The rhyming cadence makes it fun to read and listen to, but there were a few spots that I stumbled over when reading. A fun book for schools, classrooms and families.

Michelle Lander Feinberg’s Please Don’t Tell Cooper That Jack is a Rabbit is a cute and feel-good story about friendship. I love the easy-to-read rhyming narrative and the fun adventure. Anna Mosca’s pretty watercolor illustrations are so funny!

One day, lively rescue dog Cooper escapes from his yard in hot pursuit of a rabbit. After a wild chase through the city, Cooper returns home with a new best friend, Jack Rabbit. They form a close bond and have many wonderful adventures together.

This is a sweet little story that will keep your young readers laughing and entertained! Feinberg’s writing is approachable and easy-to-follow. The rhyming narrative is funny, catchy, and flows nicely for the most part. However, at times, the rhymes are a little forced and this disrupts the rhythm.

I really like the book’s message of friendship despite differences. It is nicely done and never seems forced or cliched. I love the sweet and unlikely friendship between Cooper and Jack Rabbit! I especially love their funny adventures. I really like that they learn about each other and support each other through both the good times and the bad. Cooper is such a friendly and feisty dog! But, I really would have liked to learn a little more about Jack. I also would have liked to see a bit more development with regards to why Jack changed his mind about being afraid of Cooper.

Mosca’s warm watercolor illustrations are an excellent complement to the story! They are nicely simple but so funny and lovely. There are so many hilarious scenes that I found myself giggling out loud. I particularly love Cooper watching ballet! Cooper and Jack playing music in their own band is really unforgettable as well. I also absolutely love the effortless diversity in characters. The animals are just precious: Jack is so cute while Cooper is adorable and fuzzy with his big happy face!

Please Don’t Tell Cooper That Jack is a Rabbit is a humorous and heartwarming book that will be a wonderful addition to your child’s library!




🐕 🐕 🐕 🐕 dogs out of 5!

My 5 year old grandson rates this book as a 5 stars. His reason: the pictures, the dog and the rabbit. My reason for a 5 star review: the pictures and the message that friends come in all colors, shapes and sizes. Thank you to NETGALLEY for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

First, I am not impressed with the rhyming pattern. I believed it to be an after thought until I read the authors bio and discovered she is an attorney. From the way it was executed, does not appear she considered the importance of high quality rhymes in early literacy. My desire would be to find a more consistent rhyming and lyrical pattern. In preschools today, we are seeing children struggling with the art of rhyming. Allowing children to be exposed to rhyme schemes that follow consistent patterns help them to be able to understand phonetics and read with better fluency. The rhymes in this title are amateur. Children would struggle to grasp the rhymes and be able to create rhymes themselves after a read-aloud.

Second, I thought the syntax and diction was appropriate for a preschool or kindergarten classroom. It’s not too much on a page so when students pick up the book on their own, whether they can read or not, their brains are not overwhelmed with too many low frequency words or complex/ compound-complex sentences.

As for the plot, I feel it does not exist. I know the dog chases a rabbit, and then they end up as friends. But what changed the rabbit’s mind to know he does not have to fear Cooper the Dog? I was lost at the last page. I agree with it’s message to love and respect anyone you meet, but having animals play out this act is the easy route to take. Children need to see children in stories struggling with the issue and overcoming the obstacle to learn how to do it in their reality. If I would to try to use this book to teach inclusion skills, my students (I only speak of who I’m teaching right now) would be confused. They would only see cute animals acting in a way that is appropriate for animals (chasing one another). If the story was about a child who wanted to friend a new person but was unable to get the message across because of cultural differences this plot would have the potential to be excellent. Students would then learn how to communicate with people different from themselves.

The length of the book is too long to be used in a lesson. It would be a cute addition to a home library or a classroom reading center, but I don’t see this selling well. I also feel it will be the book that will sit on the shelf forgotten. This is sad thought for any piece of children’s literature. I most likely would grab this book off the shelf to read during a transition time (while my students are asked to use the restroom one by one before lunch, when a lesson finished earlier than normal, waiting for the right time to walk down to afternoon carpool).

I love the author is passionate about rescuing furry friends. But, this story does not address this issue.

2/5 stars because of the criticism given above, and I could only think of one scenario (transitions) when I would choose to read this book as an educator.

A book with beautiful illustrations, which tells the story of a big and fluffy dog that befriends a rabbit, an unlikely friendship!

4 Stars

How could I not request a book with a title like that? The story is about Cooper, a big cute dog who has just learned to live with a family (in book 1). However, Cooper still has one weakness, rabbits. He cannot help but chase after them.
In this book, Cooper chases a rabbit across the city. When the rabbit realizes that Cooper only wants to be a friend, he agrees, and they become buddies. Cooper adopts Jack, the rabbit, as his pet, and they have a whole lot of adventures, irrespective of the fact that one is a dog and the other is a rabbit.
The story is about how we can be friends with people who are different from us and have wonderful relationships. The narration is in AA rhyme scheme, which seemed a little forced at times and broke the natural rhythm.
The illustrations are in watercolor and so warm! Cooper is this huge furry doggy one cannot resist cuddling. Diversity has been so artfully included in the book that it adds to its beauty with ease.
To sum up, Please Don't Tell Cooper That Jack is a Rabbit is a lovely book for kids and adults.
Thank you, NetGalley and SDP Publishing, for the ARC.

This one has the classic storybook vibes!

It's the illustrations and the storytelling.

I absolutely love the content.

And yes, such unlikely animal friendships exist. I know this because I watch a lot of Dodo channel.

You will love it!

Thank you, author/artist and the publisher, for the advance reader copy.

I was a bit bored with this book. There were parts that were fun for a minute, but most of it I was just bored and didn't see the point of the book.