Michelle Ferguson-Cohen
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| Michelle Ferguson-Cohen | |
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| Born | Ft. Benning, United States |
| Occupation | author, illustrator, publisher |
| Genres | Children's books |
| Notable work(s) | Daddy, You're My Hero! |
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www.booksforbrats.com |
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Michelle Ferguson-Cohen is a children's book author, illustrator and publisher. Her father is a career military officer and Vietnam veteran. As a military brat herself, many of the picture books she develops are written for and feature military brats.
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[edit] Career
Ferguson-Cohen wrote, illustrated and published the first commercially available children's books for military brats.[1] and the first children's picture books for children coping with deployment.[2][3] She has been called the "Dr. Seuss for Military Brats" in a Washington Times article that was laudatory in tone about her books' ability to help children understand about their parent's military deployments.[4]
Ferguson-Cohen established Little Redhaired Girl Publishing to publish her books as part of a series she entitled Books for Brats to encourage pride in the term "Military Brat" outside the military community. Ferguson-Cohen's goal was to create material that would appeal to all children and introduce their military family neighbors. Though self-published, her titles "Daddy, You're My Hero!" and "Mommy, You're My Hero!" have reportedly reached hundreds of thousands of youthful readers[5] through both targeted and broad based marketing. They were first published in 2001 and are in their 3rd edition.[1] The books have also been used in the classrooms as material to promote tolerance and understanding amongst peers, and distributed to both commercial and civilian outlets.[6]
Books for Brats were early to recognize and service the "suddenly military" families of the National Guard and Reserves.[7] During the first deployments of the Iraq War, Ferguson-Cohen worked with Family Readiness Groups nationwide to host readings.[8][9][10][11][12] She was able to obtain recommendations by many educational, medical and child development experts[13] suggesting that her books could be utilized to explain deployment and convey coping skills to children facing separation from a parent.[14][15][16][17][18] They are also suggested as resources for their unique content, multicultural illustrations and representations of female soldiers.[19]
Sought out by the press as an expert in the military community,[20][21][22][23] she became an advocate for military brats promoting equal representation for the military community in the media.
Prior to her career as children's author and advocate for military brats, Ferguson-Cohen was a music industry entrepreneur[24] who owned an agency based in New York and London. During her career in the entertainment industry she was involved celebrity charity events to raise funds for UK-based NGO War Child.[25] A writer and humorist, she is listed as a contributor to the Complete Idiot's Guide to Jokes.[26]
[edit] References
- ^ a b Bookcatcher Books for Brats Marks 5 Years Helping Children Cope With Deployment
- ^ "Chicago Tribune, Books Help Military Brats 'Soldier' On (lack of books explaining deployment)". Pqasb.pqarchiver.com. February 15, 2004. http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/545259611.html?dids=545259611:545259611&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Feb+15%2C+2004&author=&pub=Chicago+Tribune&edition=&startpage=7&desc=Books+help+military+%60brats%27+soldier+on. Retrieved December 12, 2011.
- ^ Fayetteville Observer[dead link]
- ^ The Washington Times; Military children's story told, Books explain 'hero' parents[dead link]
- ^ "Eyewitness in Iraq". Military.com. http://www.military.com/NewContent/0,13190,Stuff,00.html. Retrieved December 12, 2011.
- ^ de:Amerikanische Kinder- und Jugendliteratur
- ^ Bookcatcher
- ^ Life Transformed[dead link]
- ^ Ft. Bragg Deployment Resources[dead link]
- ^ Resources for FRG Deployment[dead link]
- ^ OMK Hero Packs[dead link]
- ^ Yuma Deployment Readiness
- ^ "Military.com". Military.com. http://www.military.com/NewContent/0,13190,Stuff,00.html. Retrieved December 12, 2011.
- ^ "American Press Institute; Sources for Parents to Explain War". Americanpressinstitute.org. http://www.americanpressinstitute.org/content/1604.cfm. Retrieved December 12, 2011.
- ^ Pediatric Psychology; Resources for Military Families[dead link]
- ^ Military Homeschoolers[dead link]
- ^ Resources for Youth Serving Professionals Caring for Children and Adolescents with Deployed Military Parents; COL Elisabeth Stafford, MD, FAAP, FSAM Adolescent Medicine Fellowship Program Director, San Antonio Military Pediatric Center[dead link]
- ^ "Journal for the National Association of Educating Young Children". Journal.naeyc.org. http://journal.naeyc.org/btj/200701/BTJAllen.asp. Retrieved December 12, 2011.
- ^ "National Military Family Association Books Recommendation". Nmfa.org. http://www.nmfa.org/site/PageServer?pagename=books_for_children. Retrieved December 12, 2011.
- ^ By MARY DEIBEL, Scripps Howard News Service; 700+ words. "Experts to Discuss Children and Television War Coverage". Accessmylibrary.com. http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-22808149_ITM. Retrieved December 12, 2011.
- ^ "ADVISORY/Experts Available to Discuss Topics Regarding War with Iraq | Business Wire | Find Articles at BNET.com". Findarticles.com. March 20, 2003. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0EIN/is_2003_March_20/ai_98996626/pg_2. Retrieved December 12, 2011.
- ^ Brott, Armin. "Positive Parenting". Mrdad.com. http://www.mrdad.com/store/radio.html. Retrieved December 12, 2011.
- ^ "Fox News; Mother's Day Bittersweet for Military Moms". Fox News. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,119228,00.html. Retrieved December 12, 2011.
- ^ "New York Book Festival". New York Book Festival. http://newyorkbookfestival.com/article/?category_id=51. Retrieved December 12, 2011.
- ^ "Billboard". Google. http://google.com/search?q=cache:RrHrx31ko54J:www.allbusiness.com/retail-trade/miscellaneous-retail-retail-stores-not/4625391-1.html+michelle+ferguson+and+%22war+child%22+and+mfpr&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=3&gl=us. Retrieved December 12, 2011.
- ^ Complete Idiot's Guide to Jokes: see index page 308
[edit] Bibliography
- Daddy, You're My Hero! (Little Redhaired Girl Publishing, 2001,) ISBN 978-0-9729264-4-7
- Mommy, You're My Hero! (Little Redhaired Girl Publishing, 2001,) ISBN 978-0-9729264-3-0
- Walk This Way, New York Magazine
