Faith Channel’s Ryan K. Woodall offers a fun, empowering approach to understanding ADHD in his debut children’s picture book, The Distraction Monster (Brown Books Kids; available now) illustrated by Stevie Mahardhika. Perfect for back-to-school timing, The Distraction Monster serves as a valuable resource for parents and educators to help children with ADHD manage their behavior and find balance in their energetic, imaginative worlds
The Distraction Monster’s main character, Ollie, is inspired by Woodall’s own custom puppet, featured in performances streamed nationwide on Faith Channel. Mahardhika’s vibrant illustrated adaptation of Ollie from stage-to-page captures the original ambition of this long-admired character: to entertain, educate and delight.
In The Distraction Monster, Ollie’s distraction monster fills his head with fantastic adventures — such as flying on the back of a dragon and saving the passengers of a make-believe train. But as Ollie discovers, his monster’s fun antics also lead to him forgetting to complete his chores, like cleaning his room before a family dinner. As Ollie tries to regain control over his distractions, young readers will learn how to turn excitable trains of thought into helpful tools for focus and productivity.
“A beautifully crafted children’s book for young readers who will learn they can use their distracted minds to be productive — and playful! So fun, heartfelt, and helpful.” —Chris Christian, Artist, Songwriter, Producer of Four Grammy-Awarded Albums, and Executive Producer of ACE Award-Winning PBS Children’s Television Series Gerbert
“Ryan K. Woodall’s playful book, The Distraction Monster, takes on the very beast that follows me still. I might not have had a career without my own distraction monster! They’re not all bad, but you have to learn how to tame them, and Woodall shows young readers how it’s done.” —Todd Lockwood, New York Times Bestselling Illustrator, Dungeons & Dragons Artist, and Creator of The Twelve Days of Christmas: A Holiday Fantasy
“The Distraction Monster is a delightful and engaging story to teach young children that becoming aware of how our challenges interfere with achieving our goals allows for us to better manage our prickly behaviors and emotions, resulting in gaining agency and control — critical for success in learning and life.” —Dr. Donna Housman, Ed. D, Child Developmental Psychologist, Founder of Housman Institute, and Award-Winning Author of the ECSELent Adventures Series
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