I wanted to write a counting book that was a little bit different from most counting books. I was inspired by a four words from one of my favorite children's books that said "but I had a ...." Now looking back, I can't remember what source that was. Does anyone know? If you do, please tell me. One of these days, I'm sure it will come to me, and when it does, I'll let you know. Anyway, I used those four words over and over in my counting book to make it a little different and fun in a quirky way. David McPhail did a wonderful job illustrating the book. I'm glad that it's available in paperback from Scholastic. It's perfect for preschool and kindergarten today.