Cocks, Nancy L.

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COCKS, Nancy L.

PERSONAL:

Female.

ADDRESSES:

Office—50 Wynford Dr., Toronto, Ontario M3C 1J7, Canada.

CAREER:

Writer, teacher, deputy warden, and Presbyterian minister on the Isle of Iona, Scotland.

WRITINGS:

"ADVENTURES OF FERGIE THE FROG" SERIES

Fearless Fergie, illustrated by Michael Leveille, Novalis (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), 1996.

Fergie Feels Left Out, illustrated by Michael Leveille, Novalis (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), 1996.

Fergie Goes Moose Hunting, illustrated by Michael Leveille, Novalis (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), 1996.

Fergie Hogs the Lily Pad, illustrated by Michael Leveille, Novalis (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), 1996.

Fergie Fails a Test, illustrated by Michael Leveille, Novalis (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), 1997.

Fergie, Frog Scout, illustrated by Michael Leveille, Novalis (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), 1997.

Fergie Loses a Friend, illustrated by Michael Leveille, Novalis (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), 1997.

Welcome Home, Fergie, illustrated by Michael Leveille, Novalis (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), 1997.

OTHER

Growing Up with God: Using Stories to Explore a Child's Faith and Life, Novalis (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), 2003.

SIDELIGHTS:

Nancy L. Cocks is a Presbyterian minister and the author of the popular children's series "Fergie," along with her latest work for parents, Growing Up with God: Using Stories to Explore a Child's Faith and Life. The "Adventures of Fergie the Frog" series stars a seven-year-old frog called Fergie. He lives in the swamp with his mother, father, and brother, and he is always getting into something. The series is designed so that each book illustrates a lesson in Christianity. Cocks believes that stories are important to children and can help them explore their faith and fears about life.

In her book Growing Up with God: Using Stories to Explore a Child's Faith and Life, Cocks notes "we can help children grow up trusting God to be at the center of their lives by telling children stories that speak to their genuine concerns and by listening to stories that children long to tell." Part one of the book contains the author's theories behind using stories to convey God to children and part two contains actual stories by Cocks. In a review for Library Journal, John Moryl stated that "part three comprises indexes of faith themes, life situations, feelings explored in the stories, and biblical references, making the work easy for parents and educators to use."