Brown Books Kids Publishes New Picture Book Addressing Childhood ADHD and Anxiety

DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Faith Channel’s acclaimed children’s entertainer, Ryan K. Woodall, releases an exciting new adventure with The Distraction Monster: Pirates on the Playground (Brown Books Kids; On Sale: October 21, 2025), illustrated by Stevie Mahardhika. This much-anticipated sequel to The Distraction Monster continues to empower children in understanding ADHD and managing the anxiety of making new friends at school.

“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

“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

The Distraction Monster series was inspired by Woodall’s own experience growing up with ADHD. He has learned firsthand how important books like these are for kids to be able to understand their symptoms and work with them to create positive results:

“ADHD has been a deeply rooted part of my life and the lives of other close family members, shaping our experiences in countless ways. While ADHD — a disorder characterized by varying symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity — can be experienced differently by everyone, I have found that my unique way of thinking has often ignited my creativity, leading me to accomplishments and experiences that have enriched my life rather than strained it. I wrote this book with the hope of sharing how symptoms like distraction and excitability can be transformed into tools for productivity and achievement — if you learn to work with rather than against your own distraction monster. ADHD has its challenges. And it also has its surprising, sometimes invaluable, superpowers.” —Ryan K. Woodall

In his note to the reader, Woodall lists organizations and resources that can provide additional help needed to function well with ADHD. A few examples include The Child Mind Institute, the Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD) and Understood.