"Cooper and Me and the Military" Children's Book Review & Giveaway

With all the service members deployed overseas, they leave behind many family members that love them and miss them. This can be especially hard on children. My step-daughter is married to a Marine currently stationed in Okinawa, Japan. She is due to deliver a baby this month and also has a 7 yr old and a 2 yr old at home. They all certainly miss Daddy while he is away. It's very difficult for the younger child to understand why Daddy is away and what he is doing. So I was very pleased to be offered this opportunity to review the latest book in the Cooper and Me Series of children's books. These books are authored by Monique Peters and her daughter Alexa, who is just 11 years old!

About Cooper and Me

Explore life along with Cooper, a fun-loving black Labrador Retriever, whose entertaining adventures help kids navigate the emotions and challenges of everyday living. Created by mother-daughter team Monique and Alexa Peters and inspired by their real-life family dog, Cooper and Me provides adults and children with opportunities for meaningful conversation and tools for constructive problem-solving. Kids will laugh at Cooper’s antics, and adults will appreciate the resilience nurtured in their children.

I was sent this book, "Cooper and Me and the Military" to review. Cooper is a black lab and this book tells the story of Trooper, Coopers best friend, and his military family.

Here is an overview:

Meet Trooper, Cooper’s best friend, and learn how he was adopted by Gracie and Joe and their parents, who both serve in the military. Find out how this family stays close despite being separated.


A must-read during patriotic holidays and for anyone with friends and family in the military, this book helps children know, that even when loved ones aren’t with us, they still love us and think about us. This book, along with all the other books in the Cooper and Me series, includes these interactive features:


• A Special Memory Creation
• Life Lesson
• Connections
• Learning Together


In addition to a fun adventure, each Cooper and Me story teaches an important Life Lesson and features interactive materials at the back of the book to drive the message home. Included are activities that help children name and process their own feelings about what they’ve read.

My thoughts

I enjoyed this book! I find it to be a great way for children to read about and express their feelings about missing their loved one. It's a great story with rhyming verses and colorful illustrations that enhance what is read. The illustrations are adorable, the story is fun to read and it provides a great message about military families. It shows all of us that even though our military family members are far far away, they are still with us even if not physically. 

I really love how the back pages are devoted to life lessons. This section is interactive, cover important messages and also allow the child to express their thoughts and feelings about the story shared. There is a question and answer part where you can discuss the story and see that the kids thoroughly understand the story and it also opens up discussion.

Also included is a format of a letter your child can write to a service member. How cool is that? It's outlined and the child can fill in the blanks. This is a wonderful encouragement to children to correspond with those overseas who are missing their own families too.  

How to connect?
Visit their Website
Like Cooper and me on Facebook
Follow Cooper and Me on Twitter

Buy it!
Head on over to Cooper and Me and purchase this and other "Cooper and Me" books

Win it!
One lucky reader will win their very own copy of "Cooper and Me and the Military." All you have to do is fill out the Rafflecopter form below.

Giveaway is open from February 3, 2012 to February 17, 2012 at 11:59EST and is open to US entrants 18 years of age or older. Terms and conditions noted on the Rafflecopter form. Please keep in mind that any mandatory entries must be completed before you do any of the extra entries.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

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.”