Gail Fairfield was born in China, of American parents, and grew up in Japan where she attended an international school. After attending college in the U.S., she wasn't sure exactly where she belonged. Searching for home, she spent significant chunks of her life in Iowa City, IA and Seattle, WA, before landing in Bloomington, IN where she has now been settled since 1990. Her professional life has always involved teaching in one form or another. When teaching young children (grades K-3), she read hundreds of children's books and found herself enamored of them. At Indiana University, she advised students, inspired staff to develop their skills, and created and implemented a University-wide academic coach training program. In these contexts, it was not uncommon for her to read a children's story aloud, to illustrate a point. It was only natural that her fascination with children's stories led to her trying her own hand. When a small Yorkie-Maltese mix adopted her, there was no turning back.