Children’s book author Michelle Lander Feinberg has an unlikely work colleague. When she sits at her desk to write her stories, her dog runs in to join her as if he believes that he provides inspiration for Michelle to write her uplifting Cooper the Dog picture book series. 

For the Cooper the Dog series, Michelle’s inspiration, in fact, initially came from her old dog, Charlie, a wonderful mutt who most certainly did not think he was a dog; hence the title of Michelle’s debut book in the series, Please Don’t Tell Cooper He’s a Dog. 

Michelle believes that a great children’s story is one that is entertaining and humorous but that also has a subtle lesson. She hopes her young readers come away from her second book, Please Don’t Tell Cooper That Jack is a Rabbit, learning the importance of friendship and that friends should celebrate their differences.

As a lifelong animal advocate, Michelle is a strong supporter of animal welfare organizations and does her best to spread the word of the importance of adopting pets from animal shelters and rescue groups. 

When she isn’t writing funny and heartwarming stories with positive messages for children, Michelle enjoys spending quality time with her husband and five children, traveling, reading, painting, practicing yoga, and playing golf. She lives outside of Boston, Massachusetts, with her husband, Andrew, their children, and their pets—rescue dog Cooper, and Gus the mouse.