What do you do when a friend betrays you? This picture book gives young readers a way to recover.
Inbal Alon is an educator and children’s author living in Massachusetts with her family. She finds inspiration in birds, wandering walks, and the quiet magic of helping young readers discover the stories they love. You can learn more about her at her website or follow her on Instagram or Facebook. You can find the book on Amazon here.
MADDY’S TOWERS is a picture book all about young Maddy’s friendship troubles. The story starts after Maddy has come home in tears; a friend has told a secret to others who mocked her. How does she learn to rebuild trust?
Welcome Inbal!
Me: Can you tell us a little bit about your writing journey. When did you start writing picture books? How has that brought you to writing this picture book?
Inbal: I have loved writing for a long time. For years, it showed up in small ways. I wrote while I traveled and kept a blog that I shared with friends and family. When I began working in education, I found myself writing short stories for my students and reading them aloud in class.
The more picture books I read with children, the more I felt drawn to try writing one myself. This year I am on sabbatical from teaching, and I finally gave myself the time and space to write more often. That led me to develop several manuscripts and to make the decision to self publish three stories. It feels like a natural next step in the work I have been doing with young readers for many years.
Me: I love that you have a story dealing about broken trust and how to rebuild it! What gave you the idea for this story?
Inbal: I actually got the idea for Maddy’s Towers from a Brené Brown video a friend shared with me. It focused on trust and how we repair it in relationships, but it was clearly meant for adults. I kept thinking about how important these ideas are for children too.
Over the years, I have seen how much young children struggle with friendship skills in the early grades. We expect them to know how to make friends, how to stay connected, and what to do when something goes wrong, but we rarely teach or model those skills in a direct way.
I wanted to create a story that gave children a visual metaphor for trust, something they could hold onto and talk about. My hope was to help them understand how our everyday choices shape our relationships and help us feel connected to the people around us.
Me: How many drafts did it take to get to the final state of this story? Were there a lot of revisions or was this a gift from the Muse?
Inbal: It took more than ten drafts to get this story to its final form. Some important parts changed along the way, especially after I shared early versions with teachers and students. Their feedback helped me understand what children were responding to and where the story needed more clarity or emotional weight.
I wanted this to be a story that children would enjoy listening to and see themselves in, and also a story that parents and teachers could use during those tough moments when friendships feel confusing or fragile. I feel very thankful to the teachers, friends, and children who helped me during the revision process. Their insights shaped the story in ways I could not have reached on my own.
Me: Just like myself, you are an educator who has worked with young children. Why was this a story you wanted to share with young readers?
Inbal: I wanted to share this story with young readers because friendships matter so much. My own friends bring joy, support, and a sense of belonging to my life, and I see how deeply children want those same connections. Over the years, I have watched many young children struggle to build and maintain friendships. We expect them to know how to make friends and what to do when things get hard, but we do not always model those skills or talk about them in a direct way.
I wanted this book to be an honest look at friendship for young children. I wanted to show that kids make mistakes, that feelings get hurt, and that trust can break. But I also wanted to show how open minded and willing children can repair, forgive, and try again. My hope is that the story gives adults a spark for conversations with children that will help build meaningful, lasting friendships.
Me: What is one thing that surprised you in writing this book?
Inbal: One thing that surprised me while writing this book was how challenging it was to work with such a visual metaphor. I had to keep reminding myself to leave space for the illustrations to carry part of the meaning. Finding that balance was not easy, but it ended up making the story stronger. When I finally saw how the text and art worked together, it turned out even better than I imagined.
Me: Mandira Biswas’ illustrations in this book are perfect. I love how she visualized all the imaginary sequences in this story. Did you have any illustration surprises? Any favorites?
Inbal: Yes, there were definitely illustration surprises. One of my favorites is the spread of Maddy and her mom sitting on the rug while she is thinking about Mei. It captures such a tender moment. I also love the final illustration, and the one of Maddy looking out the window. Each of those scenes felt exactly right for the emotional beats of the story.
Mandira was amazing to work with. She really understood the heart of the story and brought her own ideas that made the world feel richer and more alive. At the same time, she gave me space to offer feedback, so the text and illustrations could grow together. That collaboration is a big part of why the book feels so magical to me.
Me: Do you have any advice for new or aspiring picture book writers?
Inbal: My biggest piece of advice is to remember what makes you happy and keep doing that. Publishing has a lot of ups and downs, and it helps to stay connected to the joy that brought you to writing in the first place.
It is also completely fine to do many things at once. I am self publishing, but I am also writing new stories, querying agents, and entering writing competitions. There is no single path, and you get to shape the one that works for you.
Joining supportive writing communities has made a huge difference for me. Groups like Journey to KidLit, At Home Author, and the 12 by 12 Writing Challenge have been wonderful places to learn, ask questions, and build connections. Other writers are generous and inspiring, and being part of a community makes the journey feel less lonely and a lot more fun.
That is great advice. Thank you so much for stopping by my blog today Inbal.
Dear readers, this book published last month. It’s a story perfect for helping young readers to learn how to navigate the complications of friendship. I can definitely see this being incredibly helpful in Kindergarten classrooms like my own. You can find the book on Amazon here.