“Little Brown Bear and You” is the newest book by prolific author and poet Susan A. Katz of Washington, Connecticut. Published in paperback and Kindle e-book, Katz’s latest book will be released online and in bookstores nationwide on Friday, May 24, 2024, by Austin Macauley Publishers of London.

The book features three stories. “Little Brown Bear and You” is the story of a lonely little bear looking for someone to love.  Katz’s second story, “Vadie and Natie and the Bear in the Bucket”, is about a little lost bear who doesn’t want to spend a long, lonely night alone. The story is written by Katz in both prose and rhyme. 

The third story is “Little Bear’s Garden”. Told in rhyme to extol the virtues, and celebrates the fun, of growing and eating healthy veggies.

Katz wrote the stories individually and then compiled them into book form. “These stories were written for my young grandchildren, Rebecca, Corinda, Valerie, Natalia, Grayson, Gabriel, and Samantha, who are now young adults. They were meant to teach, delight, make them laugh out loud, and to express to them the joy of loving and being loved.”

A nationally and internationally published poet, Katz is the author of six books of poetry, a teacher, and a workshop facilitator. She has also co-authored two textbooks with Orff Schulwerk music specialist Judith A. Thomas, advocating the need to incorporate the arts into schools’ curricula. Katz has written numerous articles espousing the benefits of integrated teaching, and her poetry has been published in international and national journals, literary magazines, and anthologies.

Katz’s sixth book, “On the Edge” was published in 2023;  her fifth book, “Dreaming Missouri” was published in 2022; and “The Limits of Light”, was published in 2021. All of Katz’s books have been published and distributed internationally by Austin Macauley Publishers.

Susan A. Katz’s entry into the world of children’s stories was inspired by her seven grandchildren when they were young. Her “Little Brown Bear” story was written for her young granddaughter who told Katz she was feeling “under-loved” one day while playing with her cousins. “She said, ‘Nobody loves me’, so I wrote the story for her. The joy of that book took on a life of its own and I continued to write more stories, even after my grandchildren had grown. Our characters become a part of us, and it’s hard to let them go,” commented Katz. 

Since age six, Katz has loved poetry. She has read it, written it, and it has shaped her life and her view of the world, and herself. Her poems have been called, “terribly powerful…oddly strong, wonderful”, by the late poet, Dan Masterson. 

Katz has been actively writing and publishing poetry for more than 50 years. She finds inspiration in the intricacies, and intimacies, of life and family, the perils of living, and the beauty and wonder of the natural world. Her poems reveal her intense passion for the living quality of language. Katz believes that “Poetry is the need to write beyond the limits of choice; the freedom to see beyond the limits of light.”

“Little Brown Bear and You” paperback is available for $13.95, and the e-book for $4.50. The book will be available as of May 24, 2024, at https://www.austinmacauley.com, www.Amazon.com, in bookstores, and from major booksellers. For information on Susan A. Katz, visit https://poetladykatz.com.