Cooper and Me (review and giveaway)

I hesitated when I was offered "Cooper and Me" to review. The story is about a child who is anxious about the first day of school, and my homeschooler has been asking to go to school. I was concerned that the book would increase her requests to go to school.

I'm so glad I requested the book. "Cooper and Me" is adorable and we learned a new vocabulary word from reading it and have a story to relate to in terms of being anxious about going somewhere we've never been before.

From the press release:

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.

Please take the time to look at the web site for games and coloring pages and fun stuff:

http://www.cooperandme.com/

I asked 'Rella to read the book to me. She came upon one word she did not know and did not sound out correctly. The word is "miniature". I had her pronounce it several times and guided her to guess what it might mean, using the context of the book. Then I wrote "miniature = small" and "miniature = tiny" and had her copy it. Last, I had her choose something from the book to try to draw and color. We enjoyed the story and got some good homeschool value from it, too!

If you'd like to enter a drawing to win a copy, leave a comment. I'll pick from those who've commented by midnight, Friday, October 20th.

"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."