3HISTORY FOR "WHAT AM I?" CONVINCED THAT LEARNING NEEDS TO BE FUN TO APPEAL TO YOUNG, FRESH, INQUISITIVE MINDS, GAIL SET OUT TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN. DRAWING UPON HER YOUNGER YEARS SPENT IN A SMALL COUNTRY SCHOOL SHE THOUGHT BACK TO THE ACTIVITIES THAT CAPTIVATED AND SPURRED HER INTEREST. QUESTIONS AND IDEAS WHICH AROUSE CURIOSITY, PARTICIPATION AND A LITTLE STRETCHING OF THE MIND SEEMED TO STICK WITH HER BETTER THAN ACTIVITIES OF ROTE MEMORY OR FORMED PRE-SELECTED LECTURES. SHE LOVED QUESTIONS THAT CHALLENGED HER IMAGINATION AND WERE ENTERTAINING AND FUN AS WELL. PONDERING THESE THOUGHTS, IT OCCURRED TO HER THAT CHILDREN'S RIDDLES WOULD ENCOMPASS THESE ATTRIBUTES AND PERHAPS AID CHILDREN IN CONNECTING THE WRITTEN WORD TO THOUGHT AND PICTURES. HAVING WORKED AS A SUBSTITUTE TEACHER, SHE UNDERSTANDS THE NEED TO FIRST CAPTURE A CHILD'S ATTENTION AND INTEREST BEFORE TEACHING ANYTHING. THEREFORE, SHE HAS CREATED A SERIES OF DIFFERENT AND VARIED RIDDLES RANGING FROM EVERYDAY ITEMS AND PLACES, TO ANIMALS, INSTRUMENTS AND FOOD. "WHAT AM I?" IS THE FIRST BOOK IN THIS SERIES WHICH WILL BE FOLLOWED BY, "WHO AM I?", AND, "WHERE AM I?" HER HOPE IS THESE BOOKS WILL HELP CHILDREN DEVELOP A LOVE OF READING AS WELL AS BEING ENTERTAINING AND FUN!