The Next Shiny Object
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- Pre-Order
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- Expected Aug 4, 2026
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- $5.99
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- Pre-Order
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- $5.99
Publisher 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 super-active imagination, this empowering story encourages us all—neurodivergent and neurotypical thinkers alike—to embrace our perceived limitations and enjoy the journey of learning how to turn them to our advantage.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
A child learns that "a busy mind can be a beautiful thing" in this surreal outing from Talbott. Musing about curiosity, the light-brown-skinned young narrator likens it to the feeling of "a friend exploring with me, or a beast bouncing me around a pinball machine." But the constant movement feels more frustrating than fun as the beast, pictured as a dragon, jumps from one shiny object to the next. Only cycling brings the child a feeling of control and sustained interest. One night, drowning in a dream's "sea of shiny objects," the child is rescued by Leonardo da Vinci, whose own long acquaintance with curiosity and distraction allow the child to reframe how to move through the world. Citing myriad creative thinkers, da Vinci offers a key piece of advice: using an established feeling of focus to "choose what to ignore and what to explore." Watercolor, colored pencil, and ink illustrations show the youth and dragon alongside arrayed ideas, while validating dialogue results in an upbeat picture of a child's coming to terms with thinking outside the box. An author's note concludes. Ages 4–8.
