Totally Booked with Zibby:

Penn and Kim Holderness, ALL YOU CAN BE WITH ADHD
November 28, 2025

Episode Overview

This special live episode features Penn and Kim Holderness, creators, authors, and viral video stars, celebrating the release of their new children’s book, All You Can Be with ADHD. Stepping in for host Zibby Owens, Emma Rosenblum leads a warm and candid discussion. The conversation dives into why Penn and Kim wrote a kid-focused ADHD book, their creative process, personal experiences with ADHD, and their hopes for how the book will help families and schools foster understanding and confidence in neurodiverse kids.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Reading from the Book & Its Purpose

• [04:36] Kim opens by reading aloud from All You Can Be with ADHD, inviting kids to a “clubhouse” for those with ADHD—affirming belonging, adventure, and the idea of “secret powers.”
  • “If your brain’s like ours, you don’t know it yet, but you have secret powers.” (Kim Holderness, [05:41])
• The book is aimed at making children feel part of a cool, supportive club—counteracting feelings of exclusion common among kids with ADHD.

2. Why a Children’s ADHD Book?

• [06:41] Penn recounts the success of their adult ADHD book and feedback from families who wished for a resource for younger readers.
  • Realized during book tours: “These 8-year-olds were trying so hard to read it because they wanted to learn about their brain... We're so dumb. We should've started with a kid's book.” (Penn Holderness, [07:09])
• Emphasizes the rising early diagnosis rate and the lack of accessible, positive resources for children.

3. Personal Connection to ADHD

• [07:52] Kim shares the emotional inspiration behind the book, reflecting on her childhood confusion and isolation due to undiagnosed ADHD.
  • “If that little kid had any idea what was going on, the playground would have been a little bit easier. The classroom would have been a little easier. The times when he felt overwhelmed would have been a whole lot easier.” (Kim Holderness, [08:05])
• Both stress the power of naming and understanding one's neurodiversity for kids and their classmates.
  • “Just having a name for something and understanding why something is happening in your body and brain is so powerful.” (Penn Holderness, [08:43])

4. Dreams for the Book’s Impact

• [09:52] Kim expresses her hopes: children will see themselves in the book, gain confidence and self-awareness, and feel less ashamed or alone.
• Teachers and neurotypical classmates can learn empathy and awareness from shared reading experiences.

5. On Becoming Authors & the Creative Process

• [10:58] Penn and Kim talk about their lifelong love for storytelling, but admit children’s books are harder than they look.
• [12:06] Kim gives an honest (and humorous) breakdown of ADHD’s role in their writing:
  • Explains the distinction between “fixation” and “hyperfocus.”
  • First draft written in a three-hour burst due to “hyperfocus.”
  • “You could have driven a truck through my office when I was writing the book. It was one of the most spontaneous, creative, inspirational moments I’ve ever had in my life.” (Kim Holderness, [13:32])
• Acknowledges the collaborative editing and illustration process with their publisher, Little, Brown, and illustrator Vin Vogel.

6. Rhyme, Illustration, and Collaborating as a Couple

• The decision to keep the book in rhyme was intentional—despite advice that rhyming “is out” for kids:
  • “We’re kind of rhyming, sing-songy people, so we kind of held fast.” (Pen Holderness, [14:17])
• Discusses the thrill of selecting an illustrator who could capture the right emotional tone—especially important for kids with ADHD.
• Kim and Penn detail their division of labor: Penn handles the “fun stuff” and rhymes, Kim focuses on research, notes for parents/teachers, and back matter ([19:22]).

7. ADHD in Their Family & Destigmatizing the Diagnosis

• Their son, who has ADHD, grew up with open conversations at home but still experienced the typical “heavy” framing of diagnosis in clinical settings.
• “It gets delivered as... this really serious medical condition. And he gets in the car and he’s like, oh. And so, yeah, it was in the book. And so... I was like, oh my gosh, high five. You’re one. Like, you’re just like me.” (Pen Holderness, [23:04])
• Deeply motivated to reframe ADHD as a difference (not a deficit) for other kids and families.
  • “It’s a difference. It’s not a deficit, it’s not a disorder. It’s just a difference.” (Pen Holderness, [23:22])

8. The Movement and What’s Next

• The success of the previous books has fostered a sense of mission: to help destigmatize ADHD and provide empowering, accessible resources for kids and parents.
• Next book in the works will focus on practical “hacks” and gamifying daily life for kids with ADHD.
  • “If we find things interesting, if we find them novel or of personal interest, things are easier for us... so there’s ways to ‘gamify’ chores and responsibilities.” (Kim Holderness, [24:56])
• Penn and Kim see their viral content and podcast as vehicles for building community, visibility, and support for neurodiverse families.

9. Authenticity & Joy in Creative Work

• Both describe their ADHD and content creation as deeply entwined with their real life and marriage:
  • “We just talk about what’s happening in our life... helps us process, I think, to say things out loud. So it all happened very naturally.” (Pen Holderness, [27:32])
• Emphasize their joy in working together and how creativity is constantly sparked (sometimes more quickly than is “normal”).
• Lightheartedly imagine recording a podcast together in a retirement home, “talking to ourselves because it’s fun.” ([28:30])

10. Favorite Children’s Books Growing Up

• Both share beloved childhood authors and books:
  • Penn: Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, Gone With the Wind
  • Kim: Dr. Seuss, Shel Silverstein—especially Where the Sidewalk Ends
    • “Dr. Seuss and Shel Silverstein were my two favorite authors—and they exclusively rhymed.” (Kim Holderness, [29:21])

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “If your brain's like ours, you're in the right tree. You're part of the same club, you and me and everyone else who has ADHD. There are millions of us in this pretty big tree.” — Kim Holderness reading from the book, [05:41]
• “With understanding comes a little bit more confidence and a little bit less shame, right?” — Kim Holderness, [08:37]
• “Our dream is that a teacher's reading this in the class... so these kids can feel more seen, like everybody can understand a little bit more about what's happening.” — Penn Holderness, [08:43]
• “Your secret power is also your downfall—and why you forget to go to a restaurant pickup without wearing shoes.” — Kim Holderness, about living with ADHD, [12:17]
• “It’s a difference. It’s not a deficit, it’s not a disorder. It’s just a difference.” — Penn Holderness, [23:22]
• “This is our lived experience at home. This is our lived experience in our marriage... We just talk about what’s happening in our life.” — Penn Holderness, [27:32]
• “Dr. Seuss and Shel Silverstein... they exclusively rhymed.” — Kim Holderness, [29:21]

Major Timestamps

• [04:36–06:21] — Kim Holderness reads from All You Can Be With ADHD.
• [06:41–07:42] — Why write a children's book about ADHD.
• [07:52–08:43] — The personal inspiration behind creating the book.
• [12:06–13:58] — ADHD’s influence on writing habits; the “flurry” of creation.
• [14:17] — Embracing rhyme in children’s books despite publishing trends.
• [19:22–20:16] — How Kim and Penn collaborate as a couple and choose illustrators.
• [21:14–23:16] — Their son’s diagnosis; making ADHD a positive family conversation.
• [24:50–25:56] — The next book and practical approaches to ADHD.
• [28:38–30:04] — Favorite children’s books and the influence of rhyme.

Summary

This episode offers an uplifting, honest, and humor-filled look at how Penn and Kim Holderness channel their lived experience with ADHD into projects that empower kids and families. All You Can Be with ADHD is more than a book—it's a movement to shift the narrative from stigma to celebration of difference, to help children see their unique strengths, and to build understanding in classrooms and homes.

The Holdernesses are refreshingly open about their creative quirks, their partnership, and the joys and challenges of blending family, comedy, and advocacy. Their conversation is a must-listen (or read!) for anyone interested in parenting, neurodiversity, or the magic behind positive, relatable children’s literature.