PLEASE DON'T TELL COOPER HE'S A DOG

A family dog acts like a human in this picture book.

Five light-skinned siblings explain how their rescue dog, Cooper, behaves like a human. An enormous canine with shaggy black and brown fur, Cooper quickly becomes the sixth sibling and is “simply confused about how dogs behave.” He joins them in activities like yoga and swimming and is even shown eating at the dinner table using cutlery. He refuses the designated canine bed and rejects kibble unless it’s topped with sauce. When the kids try to tell Cooper that he is a dog and not a human, he feels insulted, poops “in the toilet,” and starts “to pack.” Cooper goes to the airport and subsequently spends time sightseeing in Europe. Eventually he realizes how much he misses his family and happily returns home. Although the dog’s anthropomorphic antics described in Feinberg’s entertaining story are exaggerated, readers will ultimately relate to the feeling of having pets who seem like members of their families. But some may find the prospect of Cooper using the toilet to be a bit unsettling, particularly as it is shown in the illustration. Nevertheless, Mosca’s artwork is charming, offering clever depictions of Cooper’s boisterous adventures. The portraits of Cooper enjoying his European vacation are particularly witty, depicting the canine eating a croissant at the Eiffel Tower, visiting museums, and more. The author includes a brief note informing readers about pet adoption.

An engaging, lighthearted tale of a beloved canine.