For Parents & Teachers
Susan Ogden Benting’s and Takezo Art’s books are written with care for both the heart and the mind. Whether read at home, in classrooms, or shared during group discussions, their stories: Beautiful Lizzy – A Magical Journey with Questions for Curious Kids (ages 3-9), Butterflies’ Love (ages 6-9) Macky the Little Spider and his Friends (ages 6-12), and Freddy the Rabbit and the Price of Wealth (ages 6-12) among others offer meaningful opportunities for children to explore emotions, values, and perspective through gentle storytelling.
Supporting Emotional Growth Through Storytelling
Many of Takezo Art’s and Susan’s children’s books focus on themes such as kindness, self acceptance, friendship, and learning from mistakes. These stories encourage young readers to recognize emotions, understand others, and reflect on their own choices in a natural and age appropriate way.
Rather than lecturing, the stories allow children to feel, think, discuss, write and draw making lessons more memorable and personal.
Ideal for Classrooms and Group Reading
These books work especially well for:
* Classroom read-aloud sessions
* Small group discussions
* Social-emotional learning (SEL) activities
* Character education and values based lessons
Teachers often find that the stories open conversations about empathy, responsibility, patience, and growth without pressure or judgment.
Encouraging Reflection, Not Perfection
The characters in their books are not perfect and that is the point. Children see characters who struggle, make mistakes, learn, and grow. This helps young readers see themselves in the characters, understand that growth comes from reflection and kindness, and not from being flawless.
These stories gently reinforce that everyone deserves understanding, including themselves.
A Gentle Bridge Between Home and School
For parents, Takezo’s and Susan’s books provide moments of connection quiet opportunities to talk about feelings, choices, and experiences in a calm and supportive way. For educators, they offer stories that naturally support discussion without requiring complex explanations.
Together, these books create a shared language of empathy and reflection that children can carry beyond the page.
historical fiction books for late teens and young adults.
Black vs White: A Journey Through the Shadows of the Mind
A contemplative exploration of perception, contrast, and inner awareness.
This book invites readers to move beyond rigid thinking and reflect on how meaning is shaped by perspective.
Rather than offering answers, it creates space for thoughtful inquiry.
Ideal for readers drawn to modern philosophy and reflective writing.
A calm, intellectual journey through light, shadow, belief, and uncertainty.
When the Gods Were Silent
In the ancient world of Mesopotamia, where fear ruled the hearts of men and priests spoke in the name of silent gods, one young woman is chosen for sacrifice.
Ama is condemned to die in the waters of the Euphrates so the city of Uruk may be “purified” and saved from drought, famine, and divine wrath. But when Lugal, a hunter who refuses to bow before fear, rescues her from the temple of the High Priest Naram-Sin, their escape ignites a dangerous pursuit across the marshes and deserts of the ancient world.
Sasaky Kumbei
The Shadow Samurai
In a war-torn Japan, where a name can bring glory or death, one man chooses a different path.
Sasaky Kumbei does not seek fame. He does not seek power. After surviving an encounter with Oda Nobunaga and turning away from the road that could have made him known, he disappears into the world under another name, Hayashi Jiro.
He walks.
Chiyo
In the shadows of war-torn Sengoku Japan, a quiet girl is born beneath an ancient omen.
Her name is Chiyo.
From the moment of her birth on the eighth day of Yayoi, those around her sense something unusual. She does not cry. She watches. The monks speak of “two shadows,” of a child destined to steady another soul whose fate will shake the world.
Raised within the Akechi clan during one of the most dangerous periods in Japanese history, Chiyo grows between silence and observation
Einar Olafsson
Year 999.
Born on a stormy night in a small Viking village on the coast of Norway, Einar Olafsson grows up caught between two worlds.
His father, Olaf Haraldsson, believes a man earns respect through strength, conquest, and battle. Einar dreams of something entirely different. He longs to understand the sea, follow the stars, and discover what lies beyond the horizon.
