Welcome Home, Fergie!

Steve Pitt is a Toronto-based freelance writer and an award-winning journalist. He has written many young adult and children's books, including Day of the Flying Fox: The True Story of World War II Pilot Charley Fox.

There is good news for Sunday School teachers and parents looking for
young-Christian reading material: The Reverend Nancy Cocks has just
launched four new Fergie the Frog adventures. Fergie the Frog is an
amiable but sometimes aggravating little amphibian who, like most of us,
often has to learn his lessons the hard way. These new books follow in
the wake of Fergie’s first four adventures. As before, Reverend Cocks
uses everyday family situations but sets them in a frog pond to maximize
their comedic potential. Each Fergie story is followed by a short
Christian message on the same theme. As in the original series,
illustrator Michael Léveillé supplies a steady stream of colorful and
hilarious images.

In Fergie, Frog Scout, Fergie becomes such a helpful young frog that he
earns a new badge for himself in Frog Scouts and even wins tickets to a
Flying Squirrel Circus. After collecting his prizes, he suddenly becomes
extremely selfish and lazy. Fergie’s father points out that families
help each other not because they want to win prizes but because they
love each other.

In Fergie Fails a Test, little Fergie begins to act strangely after he
comes home from school. It turns out that he has failed his swimming
test and fears that his family—especially his father, who is the
fastest frog in the pond—will not love him. Father Frog explains that
he loves and accepts Fergie for what he is, not for how fast he can
swim.

In Welcome Home, Fergie, Fergie leaves home after fighting with his
mother over the fact that he refused to help with the household chores.
By the time he cools off, he is afraid his mother will not let him
return because he was so selfish. He goes home anyway, hoping to win his
mother over with extra chores. His mother is so glad to have him back
that they just agree to quit fighting and start fresh.

In Fergie Loses a Friend, Fergie’s friend Hoppy is captured by humans
and Fergie knows he will never see him again. Fergie’s father tells
him that sometimes bad things happen and we have to face them head-on.
Through its confrontation with death, this story raises a lot of tough
questions.

These four books are even better than the first four in the series.
Recommended.