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    The Next Shiny Object

    Author Hudson Talbott
    Illustrated by Hudson Talbott
    Ebook
    Penguin Young Readers | Nancy Paulsen Books
    On sale Aug 04, 2026 | 32 Pages | 9780593856789
    Preschool - 3
    Reading Level: Lexile 560L | Fountas & Pinnell O
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    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.
    Hudson Talbott wrote and illustrated more than 30 children’s books, including Newbery Honor winner Show Way (by Jacqueline Woodson), ALA Notable Book and VOYA Honor Book Leonardo’s Horse (by Jean Fritz), and We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story, which was adapted into an animated film by Steven Spielberg. View titles by Hudson Talbott
    “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

    “A child learns that ‘a busy mind can be a beautiful thing.’ . . . 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. . . . 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.’ . . . Validating dialogue . . . an upbeat picture of a child’s coming to terms with thinking outside the box.” —Publishers Weekly

    About

    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.

    Author

    Hudson Talbott wrote and illustrated more than 30 children’s books, including Newbery Honor winner Show Way (by Jacqueline Woodson), ALA Notable Book and VOYA Honor Book Leonardo’s Horse (by Jean Fritz), and We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story, which was adapted into an animated film by Steven Spielberg. View titles by Hudson Talbott

    Praise

    “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

    “A child learns that ‘a busy mind can be a beautiful thing.’ . . . 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. . . . 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.’ . . . Validating dialogue . . . an upbeat picture of a child’s coming to terms with thinking outside the box.” —Publishers Weekly

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