Description: The author of the award-winning A Walk in the Words shows readers the joy and challenges of navigating the world as a kid with ADHD.
It sure is hard to focus when your curiosity is boundless! That was Hudson Talbott's story when he was little and easily distracted by everything, his attention bouncing from one shiny object to the next. But eventually he was able to see his curiosity as a gift, because shiny objects can spark bright ideas--and he was full of them! Capturing both the challenges and rewards of having a superactive imagination, this empowering story encourages us all to embrace our perceived limitations and enjoy the journey of learning how to turn them to our advantage.Review Quotes: "Talbott's energetic cartoon illustrations, interspersed with dialogue between dragon and child, vividly convey how the child's attention constantly meanders. . . . The only thing that keeps the protagonist focused is cycling. Reading about bike maintenance leads to researching Leonardo da Vinci, who 'had ideas about everything.' In a dream, Leonardo rescues the narrator from 'a sea of shiny objects' and introduces such visionaries as Galileo and Mozart--members of the Center for Outside the Box Thinking, all with their own dragons. After Leonardo reminds the narrator, 'You can choose what to ignore and what to explore, ' the child realizes it's OK to let some shiny objects pass. . . . Readers with ADHD will particularly empathize with the child's curiosity and frustration. All will enjoy the clever text and animated illustrations. Encouraging." --Kirkus Reviews
"Curiosity can feel like a friend, but for the young boy in this book, it feels more like 'a beast bouncing me around in a pinball machine.' Curiosity is personified as a golden dragon: cute but relentless, always chasing the next distraction and pulling the narrator along. . . . The attention-hijacking 'shiny objects' swell into a turbulent sea of distraction. . . . Leonardo da Vinci appears and reassures the boy that he, too, was curious about everything and easily distracted; though this led to many unfinished pieces, it also fueled his creativity. Da Vinci encourages the boy to see his curiosity as a source of imagination and insight. The book closes by highlighting innovators who shared similar struggles, and an author's note adds a personal reminiscence. Talbott's story doesn't minimize the real challenges of navigating a neurotypical world but offers comfort and a reframing, showing that thinking differently can also be a strength." --The Horn Book