Michelle Ferguson-Cohen

Michelle Ferguson-Cohen
Born Ft. Benning, United States
Occupation author, illustrator, publisher
Genre Children's books
Notable works Daddy, You're My Hero!
Website
www.booksforbrats.com

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.

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] They are also suggested as resources for their unique content, multicultural illustrations and representations of female soldiers.[17]

Sought out by the press as an expert in the military community,[18][19][20][21] 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[22] 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. A writer and humorist, she is listed as a contributor to the Complete Idiot's Guide to Jokes.[23]

References

  1. 1 2 Bookcatcher Books for Brats Marks 5 Years Helping Children Cope With Deployment
  2. ↑ Heinatz, Stephanie (February 15, 2004). "Chicago Tribune, Books Help Military Brats 'Soldier' On (lack of books explaining deployment)". Pqasb.pqarchiver.com. Retrieved December 12, 2011.
  3. ↑ Fayetteville Observer Archived March 18, 2008, at the Wayback Machine.
  4. ↑ The Washington Times; Military children's story told, Books explain 'hero' parents
  5. ↑ "Eyewitness in Iraq". Military.com. Retrieved December 12, 2011.
  6. ↑ de:Amerikanische Kinder- und Jugendliteratur
  7. ↑ Bookcatcher
  8. ↑ Life Transformed Archived January 4, 2008, at the Wayback Machine.
  9. ↑ Ft. Bragg Deployment Resources Archived May 7, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.
  10. ↑ Resources for FRG Deployment Archived July 14, 2011, at the Wayback Machine.
  11. ↑ OMK Hero Packs Archived July 20, 2011, at the Wayback Machine.
  12. ↑ Yuma Deployment Readiness
  13. ↑ "Military.com". Military.com. Retrieved December 12, 2011.
  14. ↑ "American Press Institute; Sources for Parents to Explain War". Americanpressinstitute.org. Retrieved December 12, 2011.
  15. ↑ Military Homeschoolers Archived January 20, 2008, at the Wayback Machine.
  16. ↑ "Journal for the National Association of Educating Young Children". Journal.naeyc.org. Retrieved December 12, 2011.
  17. ↑ "National Military Family Association Books Recommendation". Nmfa.org. Retrieved December 12, 2011.
  18. ↑ MARY DEIBEL, Scripps Howard News Service; 700+ words. "Experts to Discuss Children and Television War Coverage". Accessmylibrary.com. Retrieved December 12, 2011.
  19. ↑ "ADVISORY/Experts Available to Discuss Topics Regarding War with Iraq | Business Wire | Find Articles at BNET.com". Findarticles.com. March 20, 2003. Retrieved December 12, 2011.
  20. ↑ Brott, Armin. "Positive Parenting". Mrdad.com. Retrieved December 12, 2011.
  21. ↑ "Fox News; Mother's Day Bittersweet for Military Moms". Fox News. December 1, 2011. Retrieved December 12, 2011.
  22. ↑ "New York Book Festival". New York Book Festival. Retrieved December 12, 2011.
  23. ↑ Complete Idiot's Guide to Jokes: see index page 308

Bibliography

External links

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