Naomi has a serious case of the Whys.
Her Whys pop up everywhere – at school, at home, and all through the day – buzzing with questions about rules, routines, and the world around her.

But at school, Naomi’s questions do not always fit the moment. When her Whys keep getting her into trouble, she begins to wonder if there is space for all her curiosity.

The Whys Get in Trouble is a heartfelt and imaginative picture book about curiosity, school, self-expression, and big feelings. With humor and warmth, it celebrates the children who ask questions, think deeply, and see wonder everywhere – while gently exploring how to navigate rules, timing, and classroom life.

Perfect for readers, families, educators, and counselors, this story opens conversations about:

• asking questions
• emotional regulation
• school behavior and classroom expectations
• curiosity as a strength
• making room for wonder

 

Editorial Reviews: 

The Whys Get in Trouble is a joyful celebration of the questions children carry inside them, and a gentle reminder to the adults who love and teach them that curiosity is not a distraction from learning, but its foundation. Inbal Alon offers a story that children will recognize immediately (the rules, the frustration, the urge to ask “why?”), and that adults will appreciate as an invitation to listen more closely and wonder alongside them. This is a book to read together, one that opens space for conversation, empathy, and the kind of classroom (and home) where questions and wonder are treated as an essential part of what defines us as human.

Fernando M. Reimers, Professor of International Education, Harvard University, Author of Educating Students to Improve the World and Empowering Teachers to Build a Better World.

 What Readers Are Saying

Teacher

• The Whys Get in Trouble is a story about the ebullience of childhood curiosity–and its fragility. There is an underlying poignance that is clearly borne of the author’s own experiences as a classroom teacher, an acknowledgement that school isn’t always a comfortable place for children and that even well-meaning adults can stifle learning in the name of education. Ultimately, this gentle honesty is what I liked most about the story–it’s respectful of children and their lived experiences.
• I look forward to reading The Whys Get in Trouble at the beginning of the school year—letting my first graders in on the secret that not only do teachers not have all the answers, we often don’t even have the best questions!
• – First Grade Teacher 
• The book, The Whys Get in Trouble, reminded me of what it felt like to be a curious child—full of questions and wonder—while slowly learning that asking too many “whys” was not always welcomed in a classroom setting. Naomi’s experience felt very relatable, especially the tension between her natural curiosity and the expectations placed on her at school. I appreciated how the story captured the emotional weight of a curious person ( adult or child) trying to quiet oneself  in order to avoid being in trouble.
• – Literacy Specialist and Retired Teacher 

Parent

The Whys Get in Trouble is a delightful, heartwarming, and relatable story that celebrates the boundless curiosity of young children. Through the familiar “why?” moments, the book explores the everyday challenges that parents and teachers face in their busy days, while reminding them that curiosity is a necessary tool for nurturing a child’s natural love of learning. Perfect for read-aloud time in a classroom or as a snuggly bedtime story, the book encourages connection, conversation, and a love of learning for children from preschool through the early elementary years.

Mental Health and Social Work Professionals 

The Whys Get in Trouble captures the essence of children’s curiosity and discovery. The story reminds children that their sense of wonder is a gift with a little guidance from adults along the way. Inbal is able to spotlight the importance of working with the gifts children naturally have, prioritizing patience, understanding and lastly, reminding us that learning is a dynamic process. 

This book is encouraging, whole hearted, and allows children and adults to awaken (or re-awaken) their curiosity in a playful, animated and meaningful way. It reminds school age students to not give up on themselves when rules feel hard and to most importantly – always seek to understand AND be understood by others. 

• Mental Health Professional 

Bring The Whys Get in Trouble to Your School

Curiosity is the starting point of every great discovery—but in many classrooms, children are still learning when and how to ask their Whys.

The Whys Get in Trouble helps children explore what happens when curiosity meets classroom routines, and what it means to make space for big questions in everyday learning. Through Naomi’s story, students see that their Whys are not interruptions—they are the beginning of thinking, wondering, and learning.

Through an engaging author visit, students explore the themes of The Whys Get in Trouble through interactive read-alouds, inquiry-based discussions, and hands-on activities designed to celebrate curiosity as a strength.

Each classroom visit includes:

• An interactive reading of The Whys Get in Trouble
• Inquiry-based discussions about rules, routines, and curiosity in school
• Hands-on “Whys” activities where students generate their own big questions
• A guided introduction to the Wonder Fuel Research Process, where students learn how to turn curiosity into discovery
• A creative activity inspired by the book’s end matter, where students design and share their own “Whys creatures” and research questions

Created by first-grade teacher and school librarian Inbal Alon, these visits are designed to be engaging, developmentally appropriate, and directly aligned with inquiry-based learning, literacy, and social-emotional growth.

Whether students are learning how to ask better questions, understand classroom expectations, or explore their own curiosity, The Whys Get in Trouble provides a meaningful and memorable framework for helping children see that their questions matter.

Available for elementary schools, libraries, and educational organizations. Contact Inbal to learn more about visit options, pricing, and customized programming.