I’ve got a couple of young authors and illustrators in my house. So, when I was given the opportunity to review a book written and illustrated by an 11-year-old girl, I was excited to see it. We are all impressed with Cooper and Me.

About Cooper and Me

Cooper and Me was illustrated by 11-year-old Alexa Peters and co-written with her mother, Monique Peters. The idea was inspired by Alexa’s own experiences on her first day of school. A talented young artist and writer, Alexa wanted to give back to others in a meaningful way through her art. Starting at a very young age, Alexa created illustrated stories about her daily experiences, and from the pages of her sketchbooks came the idea for her first book, Cooper and Me.

Through rhythmic verses, Cooper and Me tells the story of a young girl who is nervous as her first day of school approaches. She is frightened about leaving home and doesn’t want to go without her best friend, her dog Cooper. Fortunately her mother finds the perfect solution to help the little girl overcome her fears – a small replica of her beloved pet she can take to school with her. In Cooper and Me, the story of a child’s fears about starting school has evolved into a timeless tale about overcoming separation anxiety and trying new things – basic emotions all people experience throughout their lives – but this time, written by a child, for children.

The story behind Cooper and Me also offers an inspiring example of families working together to help others. In addition to helping young children gain emotional resilience and confidence through their books, Alexa and mom Monique wanted to go beyond that to help less fortunate kids. Their search for an organization to which they could donate a portion of the proceeds from the Cooper and Me book led to a charitable alliance with the Happy Hearts Fund, founded and run by Petra Nemcova, the supermodel who was directly affected by the tsunami in Thailand. Happy Hearts improves children’s lives through education and sustainable programs in natural disaster areas.

Our Review

My 3 kiddos and I all read Cooper and Me, and we were all impressed.

Sweetheart is in grade 7, and is the process of writing a story for 2-5 year olds, so she’s familiar with the process of writing and illustrating a book. Here’s what she had to say:

I like that the story is actually about her, so it’s a real story. It is easy to understand and a very good thing to write about. I liked the rhyming, and I love the illustrations. It’s a good story for Kindergartners and preschoolers. She drew better than I did. I would have guessed that the author was older than 11 yrs old because it’s so good. It’s well written. I would recommend this book.

BudBud is the artist in the house, and was recently selected as one of only 3 grade 5 students in his whole school to participate in a young writer’s workshop where they spent the day learning with famous Canadian children’s writers and illustrators. He is turning 11 this week, too! BudBud’s thoughts on Cooper and Me:

It’s very poetic and I like the story about her being scared to go to school and wanting to take her dog with her. It sounds like she’s been writing poems for years. The book is so good it seemed to be written by an older person. It was fun that her mom sewed her a little doggie. The illustrations were very good, and went well with the story. (She draws better than me!) It’s a great book! I was very impressed. I would recommend it to most of my friends, though I don’t think one of my friends would like it because he always goes over the top about stuff, so it might be a little too simple for him. But for me it’s great.

MrCutie is in grade 4, and he’s really starting to get much better at reading. He likes to read things that have rhyme and and rhythm – I think it’s easier for him to figure out. Here’s what he had to say about Cooper and Me:

I liked the book a lot. It’s a cute story, and I really like the rhyming. It’s really nice that the mini-Cooper had a space for pictures and special things inside of it. It’s pretty amazing that it’s written by an 11-year-old girl. It’s a great book!

I can only concur with everything the kiddos said. The book is well-written and easy to read. It’s a super sweet story and the illustrations are so cute! We really enjoyed the book, and we’ll be sharing it with our little friends, too!

Find out more about Cooper and Me at the website:
Cooper and Me

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Giveaway: One lucky It’s OK to be WEIRD! reader will win their own copy of Cooper and Me!

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”