David Piley (b.1966) is an American cartoonist, author, and illustrator of children’s literature. He is best known as the author and illustrator of the children’s book series, Captain Underpants, and the children’s graphic novel series, Dog Man. He was diagnosed with ADHD (then extreme hyperactivity disorder) at aged 8.
Washington Post (2019)
Q: At what age were you diagnosed with attention deficit and dyslexia?
Q: How did that work out?
A: The only way I could get it down was, my mom would put in chocolate syrup with cream. I think I was so buzzed off the sugar that it didn’t quite work out.
Q: And you had to sit in the hall in elementary school?
A: So little was known about those conditions back in those days, and I think it was just seen as I was distracting everyone in the class with my silliness. I couldn’t stay in my chair and keep my mouth shut. So the teachers from second to fifth grade just put me in the hall. It ended up being kind of a blessing for me, too, because it gave me time to draw and to create stories and comics. I guess I made lemonade out of it.
__________________________________
Q: You must hear from young readers who tell you about their own difficulties and why your books help them.