Illustration of Doodle, Bug & Bear Press’s sketch-loving mascot, drawing at a desk with a smile—illustrating one of our rhyming picture books.

Every Story Connects & Gives Back

Every Bug & Bear book is part of a bigger story.
Some connect in wild ways. Some spark brand-new ideas.
All are powered by imagination—and right now, during the Painting Grace launch, they’re connecting to something even bigger: our Story Shapers’ communities.

Through September 5th, 75% of ALL Painting Grace royalties go straight to the schools selected by our Story Shapers.

So explore the series. Find your family’s next favorite.
And know that every story you buy helps shape the next one—and supports a local cause along the way.

Presenting

Book Three: The Should Sorter

The Should Sorter is Marie Kondo meets The Body Keeps the Score—but for kids.

If someone shook all the “shoulds” out of your head, how big would the pile be?

For Billy, that pile was big enough to bury him.  Literally.
Bear wants to go on an adventure, but Billy is stuck. 
His joy won’t pop and his thoughts won’t chill—there are just TOO many shoulds stuck in his head.
He should like sports.
He should part his hair.
He should stop eating weird bug snacks.
He should stop being so… him.

Ever met a little one like that?  Ever feel like that yourself?

The Should Sorter is for every kid—or grownup—whose head fills with pressure and panic at the sound of “You should…”
It’s about the weight of expectations—and the anxiety that builds when they don’t fit who you are or who you want to become.

Behind the Story

This book broke my mold.

It started as another story, but ended as another way.

Somewhere in the middle of shaking out Billy’s “shoulds” my son barged in and said:
“If that kid is supposed to be me… a monkey with cymbals should be falling out of his head.”

I probably should’ve paused and scheduled a therapy appointment.
Instead, I created Participatory Publishing.

That cymbal-clanging monkey became the blueprint for something bigger:
A model where kids don’t just sort expectations… they set them.
A model where kids don’t just read stories… they shape them.

Because when we stop listening to the noise that doesn’t belong to us—
we finally hear the parts that do.

Inside the Book!