Booklist Starred Review
Cooper (Homer, 2012) follows several trains going about their daily routine in this exhilerating glimpse of life on the rails. There's the red-striped Commuter Train pulling out of the station, heading out of the concrete jungle into town after town; as the Commuter Train waits at a station, a larger Passenger Train whooshes past shuttling passengers between cities; at the rail yard next to Grand Central Station, a Freight Train loads its cargo and sloooowly pulls away; this train ambles past ("As if the train and the clouds were having a race to see which go slower"); an Overnight Train "switchbacking westward" to climb the Rocky Mountains; finally there's the High-Speed Train, shaped like a bullet, its sleek nose pointing towards a city skyline. Throughout, there are "Passengers on, passengers off." Cooper's languid, rolling language works well with the looseness of the watercolors, which offer spectacular views of trains as seen from a distance, as well as interior close-ups of levers and dials. Each new train is introduced dramatically after a page turn and details of train living, like sleeping and eating on an overnight car, should thrill the intended audience. The front and back matter depicts many different people rushing to and fro, and a glossary and facts section, along with a brief author's note, concludes. A poetic, beautifully conceived book--it has the right amount of pomp-and-circumstance to make train travel sound just a little bit glamorous.

Kirkus Starred Review
Who can watch a train race by without longing to be on it? This delightful picture book delivers the literal and figurative rush of cross-country rail travel as it tracks a variety of trains, beginning with a New York commuter line and ending with a high-speed train pulling into a California terminal. Along the way, readers are treated to descriptions of the whizzing thrills of long-distance trains, including the sights, sounds and even aromas that passengers encounter inside and outside the cars. Thanks to clever narrative pacing and handsome design, children are invited to hop on for the ride. Punchy, clipped sentences, often enlivened with evocative onomatopoeic words, enhance the sense of movement. The text on the right-hand page of each spread ends in ellipses that demand rapid page turns, heightening the feel of forward momentum. The book's rectangular shape suggests a railroad car's appearance while also providing the illustrator ample space in which to present sweeping, panoramic views of ever-changing scenery and busy stations. The loose watercolor-and-pencil artwork hums with activity and energy; a nighttime scene is dramatic and beautiful. Cooper reminds readers of the anticipatory, ephemeral nature of rail travel by repeating the phrase "Passengers off, passengers on" and gracefully transitioning from train to train both visually and in the text. Kids will be all aboard for this one.

Praise for HOMER
"This subtle picture book beautifully captures the rhythms of a family, with a dog nestled at its heart." --BOOKLIST, starred review

Praise for FARM
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books Blue Ribbon Book (2010)
* "It's as thorough and pleasing an introduction to a farm as one could ask of a picture book." --THE HORN BOOK MAGAZINE, starred review

* "Deliciously shaded watercolors, outlined in black, are a mix of spot art, clustered images, and spectacular spreads .... The graceful text and serenely stunning illustrations create a portrait both reverent and realistic." --PUBLISHERS WEEKLY, starred review

Praise for BEACH
Society of Illustrators Gold Medal (2006)
"Cooper's portrayal of a day at the shore is generous with such minutiae; his fondness for his subject is evident and infectious." --SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL