All the Ways We Learn and Love: Neurodivergent Kids & Brave Dogs

In this inspiring episode of Reading With Your Kids, Jed welcomes two wonderful picture book creators who are helping families talk about big feelings, different brains, and everyday courage.

First, Jed chats with Chloe Ito Ward, author of All the Ways We Learn, a gentle, affirming picture book about neurodivergence in the classroom. Chloe shares how the story toggles between what we "think" learning should look like—sitting still, making eye contact, hands in laps—and the many valid ways kids actually learn, including kids with ADHD, autism, dyslexia, dyspraxia, and dyscalculia. Drawing on her own late ADHD diagnosis and her years teaching kindergarten, Chloe talks about movement, play, and self-advocacy, and how books can give kids both a mirror (to see themselves) and a window (to better understand others). She also teases upcoming titles, including My Mind Is an Ocean.

Then Jed is joined by Dana Eikenberg, former Division I athlete and coach and author of Hank the Brave. Hank is a lovable boxer who's afraid of small buzzing things—a perfect way to help kids think about fear, bravery, and the power of love. Dana opens up about losing the real Hank, why love is the throughline of the book, and how families can use Hank's story and her "Brave Start" activity to help kids name their support system and face their fears. Together, Jed and Dana reflect on resilience, hard work, and why we don't need to be fearless to be brave.