Please Don't Tell Cooper That Jack is a Rabbit

Clarion Rating: 4 out of 5

Please Don’t Tell Cooper that Jack Is a Rabbit is a delightful story about friendship with a funny, furry hero.

In Michelle Lander Feinberg’s picture book Please Don’t Tell Cooper that Jack Is a Rabbit, two lively creatures learn a lesson about appreciating differences.

Cooper is a big, energetic dog who chases a rabbit from his yard one day. After Cooper catches up to it, he and the rabbit become fast friends. Cooper brings the rabbit, Jack, home to his people—two parents and five children. After having lots of fun with Jack and helping him through homesickness, Cooper shows his family that you can be friends with anyone, no matter who they are.

The book’s charming and fun illustrations depict Cooper and Jack partaking in human activities: playing tennis and golf, reading, and riding a bike together. Big, fluffy Cooper and small, long-eared Jack make a cute pair, and their anthropomorphized behaviors are humorous. Further, the book’s animals and humans alike are rendered with distinct, expressive faces; consistent wardrobe choices are used to differentiate between the five siblings, who otherwise crowd together in images. The bright primary colors and layered, textured backgrounds are joyful and atmospheric, while objects including musical instruments are made lifelike. The diversity among the human characters bolsters the message about making friends with others, despite their differences.

Written in rhyming couplets that achieve a stable, sing-song rhythm, the story maintains a clear focus on both its characters and their actions. Still, it’s an expository text: lines describe Cooper’s thoughts and behavior, and the conversations that take place have a purposeful flavor. The book pronounces its themes in a clear, active way.

Please Don’t Tell Cooper that Jack Is a Rabbit is a delightful story about friendship with a funny, furry hero.

Reviewed by Aimee Jodoin

Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book and paid a small fee to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. Foreword Reviews and Clarion Reviews make no guarantee that the publisher will receive a positive review. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

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