About Small-Tooth-Dog Publishing Group
At the Tucson Festival of Books some years ago, towards the end of the event, a girl about ten years old made her way to our table. She was a dancer. She picked up a copy of Ten Ballet Dancers by Amanda Malek-Ahmadi and didn’t put it back down.
Her mom leaned in quietly. “I like your choice. Are you sure? Out of all the books you’ve seen here, that is your choice? That’s your last ten dollars.”
The girl didn’t waver. She opened her coin purse, smoothed out the bill on the table, and slid it across like the decision had already been made a while ago.
There’s something about witnessing a child choose a book over everything else a $10 bill could buy that stops you cold. Not because it’s sweet, though it is. Because it’s serious. She knew what she wanted, and she knew what it was worth to her.
Amanda was standing right there and signed it for her.
Moments like those are why Small-Tooth-Dog Publishing Group exists.
Ten Years of Books Worth Coming Back To
We started in 2016 in Arizona with a simple belief: the right book in the right hands changes something. Ten years later, we’re still independent, still deliberate, and still building books designed to find their reader.
We are a small press with a wide reach. Our authors and illustrators come from across the United States and around the world, bringing voices, perspectives, and stories that reflect the full range of human experience. Every book in our catalog exists because someone had something worth saying, and we believed it was worth publishing.
The People Behind the Press
Sean Buvala has been working with storytelling and communication since 1986. He’s a professional storyteller, trainer, and the publisher of SMTDog. He’s also the author of several titles in our catalog. Sean brings more than 40 years of experience helping people find and tell their stories, and that perspective shapes every publishing decision we make.
Michelle Buvala is a visual artist and illustrator based in Arizona. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Arizona State University and founded The Mesquite Tree Studio. She has illustrated several SMTDog titles using her signature technique of watercolor cut paper collage combined with pen and ink. Michelle leads all visual development for the press and serves as art director for our illustrated titles.
Sean and Michelle founded SMTDog together and continue to lead the press alongside a growing team of authors, illustrators, editors, and collaborators whose work you’ll find throughout our catalog.
How We Think About Books 
We believe children’s books should reward a second look. And a third. And a tenth.
Every title we publish is built with layered details, embedded discoveries, and characters that feel like real people from real places. We’re not interested in books that talk down to kids or reduce a story to a single lesson. We’re interested in books that trust young readers to notice things, ask questions, and come back to the page with new eyes.
That philosophy shows up in the art, too. Our illustrators build hidden elements into their work. Small details that aren’t announced. Things a child finds on their own. We design for the kid who goes back to page four because something caught her eye and she wants to look again.
What We’ve Been Recognized For
Our titles have received recognition from the Benjamin Franklin Awards, the Storytelling World Awards, Story Monsters, and IndieReader. These honors reflect the work of the authors and illustrators who trusted us with their stories.
We accept that recognition the same way that the girl accepted her signed copy — knowing that the work was worth it.
Nearly Two Dozen Titles and Growing
Our catalog includes nearly two dozen titles spanning picture books and middle grade fiction, with new releases planned throughout 2026. Our books are available online and at your local independent bookstore. We show up at the Tucson Festival of Books every year and have had titles on exhibit at the American Library Association Conference.
Every book we add to that catalog is another chance for a reader to find exactly what they were looking for. We’ve watched it happen. We know it works.
Come Find Us
Browse our books at smalltoothdog.com/our-books, meet our authors and illustrators at smalltoothdog.com/authors-and-illustrators, or reach us directly at staff@smalltoothdog.com. We read every email.