At Bug & Bear Press, we believe stories don’t just entertain—they shape the world we live in. And the best stories? They’re the ones we create together. That’s the heart of Participatory Publishing—a bold new model that combines creativity, collaboration, and community to empower kids through storytelling.
Participatory Publishing takes the spark of participatory storytelling and gives it a permanent home—inside the pages of real, published books. It’s active participation, turned into legacy.
I didn’t borrow the idea—I built it. And while I was busy making it real, it turns out people smarter than me were already studying it.
I just happened to build it from a cymbal clanging monkey.
A cymbal-clanging monkey? Yep. That really is what started it all.
I was writing Book Three: The Should Sorter when my son barged into my office, mid hot-cocoa crisis. He peered over my shoulder and said:
“Hey, if that kid’s kind of supposed to be me, you should make a monkey with cymbals fall out of his head.”
So I did.
He beamed. And in that moment, something clicked:
This could be so good for other kids too.
That spark became Participatory Publishing—a way for kids to help shape the stories they love.
And from that one monkey, a whole movement began.
This isn’t just about writing books—it’s about rewriting how kids see themselves in the world.
Participatory Publishing turns young readers into co-creators. Their ideas don’t get tucked away in a suggestion box—they get immortalized in print.
When kids shape stories, they discover their ideas matter. That their words carry weight. That creativity can move the world.
Here’s what happens when kids get to co-create:
When a child sees they can shape a story, they begin to believe they can shape a classroom. A neighborhood. A system. A world.
And this is where the former lawyer in me gets serious.
Let’s be honest—we live in a world starving for participation, agency, and community-driven change.
We’re teaching kids to memorize instead of think. To consume instead of create.
And that erosion of creativity? It’s not just a classroom issue—it’s a democracy issue.
Because creativity is essential to a participatory democracy —and right now, we’re starving both.
And the only way to change it… is to let kids experience their own power—early.
That’s what Participatory Publishing is at its core.
Not just storytelling.
Story shaping.
And when a kid realizes they can shape a story, they start to believe they can shape everything.
Crayons Over Constitutions isn’t just a cheeky phrase.
It’s a lens. A reminder that before we make kids memorize the laws—
we should ask them what they think the laws should be.
Our future has to be built by a generation raised to think collaboratively, create boldly, and contribute like it’s second nature.
Coming soon: Crayons Over Constitutions
A book about how creative contribution can redefine community, democracy, and education—one messy crayon scribble at a time.
From Shaping stories, to shaping worlds.
At Bug & Bear Press, we’ve created three playful creativity challenges that fuel this co-creation engine:
The winning ideas get woven into the next book, and each winner is featured in the Story Shapers Spotlight—plus, they direct 25% of launch royalties to a school, club, or library they care about.
And, right now, Bug & Bear Press is taking participatory publishing on the road with The Story Shapers Experience. Check our events page to see if we are coming to a city near you.
This is more than a publishing company. It’s a participatory revolution, built by and for the next generation of creators.
Bug & Bear Press isn’t just helping kids write stories—we’re teaching them that they can rewrite the rules.
Let’s raise a generation that doesn’t wait for permission to make an impact—because the world they’re inheriting won’t wait.
Contests, Voting, Tour Updates, and New Releases… All of the “good stuff” happens in the list. Make sure you’re on it!
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