What Coco Can Do

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Author(s)

Maribeth Boelts

Co-Authors / Illustrators

Stephanie Laberis

Publisher

Candlewick

Genre(s)

Age Range

Release Date

April 01, 2025

ISBN

978-1536229486

Buy This Book

A vibrant, loving tribute to the good that dogs do—especially everyday heroes like Coco, who comfort humans experiencing hardship, trauma, and loss.

Coco is a dog who can cuddle. He’s not like Luna, who lives with cheetahs at the zoo, or super sniffer Lucky or Jax the lifeguard dog. From cattle dogs to four-footed movie stars, there is no end to canine achievement. But Coco, in his special vest, is no less exceptional: he can bring comfort to a person with a fearful, lonely, or hurting heart. His cuddling makes others feel stronger and less alone. From a beloved picture book author and a gifted illustrator, this irresistible tribute to the therapeutic genius of dogs brims with warmth and humor. With art that captures the energy of accomplished canines at work and at play (often at the same time), this joyful roundup of talented pooches—punctuated every couple of pages by a cuddle with Coco—will send you straight to the couch for a snuggle with someone special.

Editor review

1 review

The Most Important Job of All

May 11, 2025 (Updated: June 30, 2026)

Overall rating

4.0

Plot

4.0

Characters

4.0

Writing Style

4.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

4.0

Coco is a goofy, happy dog who can cuddle. There are other dogs who have different jobs, befriending zoo animals, herding, sniffing out endangered animals, competing in agility tests, rescuing people, or chasing animals off airplane runways, but Coco's ability to cuddle is also important. Not only does Coco cuddle with his family, which consists of parents, a grandfather, and two children, but he also is a service dog who goes to nursing homes, hospitals, and scenes of crises to comfort people when they need support and encouragement. Even though it might not seem as glamorous as being a television personality or as important as moving cattle, Coco's job is an important one, which he does with his whole heart.

Good Points

I liked that the illustrations were a mix of detailed backgrounds, like Lucky finding small endangered rodents in a forest, and portraits surrounded by a lot of white space. This highlights individual dogs while also giving a good look at the situations in which they find themselves. The white space makes it easier to see the text; on some of the detailed back drops, the words are in almost the same color as the dirt or grass, which makes them hard to see. I wish the print had been in white; just make sure you don't miss those bits of the story!

Coco has such a friendly face, and takes such joy in cuddling, that it's hard to find any fault with his "limited" abilities. Also, everyone knows that Coco isn't just cuddling; he's clearly protecting humans from the grave danger imposed by squirrels, mailmen, and the wind!

It's good for young readers to understand that there are pets, and there are service dogs, and sometimes the two are one and the save. Add What Coco Can Do to the growing number of picture books that celebrate the different careers of our canine friends like Papp's Madeline Finn and the Library Dog, Gianferrari and Lobo's To Dogs, With Love, Ashman and Judd's Wonder Dogs, and Frey and Nacua's Alice Eloise's Silver Linings: The Story of a Silly Service Dog.