Review of "Cooper's Campervan Adventures: Montana" by Bridget Farry, Illustrated by Dave Globerson

Score: 95+/100 (9.5+ out of 10)

Cooper's Campervan Adventures: Montana is an extraordinary and adorable children's book by Bridget Farry, starring Cooper (the rescue dog), and featuring outstanding illustrations by Dave Globerson!

Seriously, Globerson's illustrations are some of our favorites of the year, probably somewhere around Muntasir Dipto's illustrations in Our Song, Our Voice and Julia Moroko's illustrations in The Girl and The Ocean. A lot of this appears hand-drawn and hand painted. The results are amazing! There appear to be hand-drawn textures like the vegetables in the market on page 7. And everything appears beautifully and painstakingly watercolored onto a canvas or textured paper. It's also nice to see some of the ink or pencil linework.

But perhaps the thing the illustrator did best of all is conveying Cooper's expressions and emotions through very tactful, subtle touches. One of our favorites is Cooper's contended expression (at being scratched under the chin) on page 9. His expression is curious on page 14. It's imaginative and excited on page 6. It's happy and optimistic on page 5.

Oh, and his expression on page 17 when he's getting ready for bed and hugging him "Lambie" plush toy... it's priceless!

This whole project actually reminded us a lot of Melissa Kahl's illustrations in Ellie's Masterclass, which is a very similar book: beautiful, painstakingly illustrated and featuring an adorable pup going on adventures with his/her owner.

Cooper stole our hearts as the adorable, adventurous, expressive, and lovable rescue dog who joins is human mama and human papa on their cross-country campervan adventures.

Specifically, in this book, Cooper and his humans travel to the wide-open state of Montana, a place brimming with natural beauty and wildlife. Farry captures the spirit of Montana perfectly—its towering mountains, glacial rivers, and breathtaking forests feel alive on the page. We loved how the book introduces kids to the concept of outdoor adventures in national parks while subtly teaching values like respecting nature and leaving no trace. The inclusion of Montana’s iconic wildlife—like the moose, bears, and squirrels—adds authenticity and excitement, making it feel like a real adventure rather than just a story. It’s as much a celebration of the great outdoors as it is of friendship, family, and the bond between humans and their pets.

Speaking of Montana's wildlife, one of our favorite scenes (as we shared on Facebook and X) is of Cooper observing a friendly squirrel looking on from the back of a large moose. It reminded us of Rocky and Bullwinkle!

Speaking of Cooper and squirrels... this book really does a good job at playfully and adorably getting into the psyche, mindset, and behavior of a dog. Dogs love spotting and chasing squirrels! Cooper thinks about it more than once. He also loves collecting sticks while his humans are fishing. Oh, and while they're shopping for food, he—of course—is busy chewing on some.

Cooper is such a good boy. He's magnetic and such a joy to follow.

Check it out here!