Oddly and Eve: Magical Addition Pairs follows a frustrated and sad odd number who struggles with his feelings and finding friends. What was the inspiration for your story?

Many years ago, while teaching a math lesson to my youngest students, we noticed and briefly discussed that two odd numerals added together made an even number, as did two even ones. Since I tend to anthropomorphize just about everything, I began to wonder how the numerals felt about those outcomes, especially from the odd ones’ perspective. Thinking ahead to a possible book, I created a file that stayed in my desk for a long time. When I recently came across it again, I was inspired to finally write that story for my younger readers. The original title was “Odd’s Revenge,” but I decided that was a bit too negative. So, Odd led to Oddly, and then Eve appeared, and the book was born, focusing on the positivity of magical addition pairs.

Your children’s book is more than a simple counting story. You have included important lessons about friendship, acceptance, and cooperation. Was this intentional in your writing, or did it happen naturally as your story developed?

I always aim to weave meaningful life lessons into my writing to help and inspire my readers. That said, the way those themes emerged happened naturally as I wrote the story. First came Oddly with a chip on his shoulder, and then Eve’s unstoppable positivity that even Oddly couldn’t ignore forever. Professor Plus also blossomed on his own as a guide on the side, as did his camaraderie with Count Calculator.

I loved the scene in the book where Oddly and his friends are blocking the road. What scene in the book did you have the most fun writing?

Yes, that’s a fantastic scene, and I must credit my illustrator Barry Davian, whose artistic talent brought each moment to life beautifully. What I love most about that point of the story is how Eve calmly and directly calls out Oddly on his actions while handling the situation with grace. This concept is vital because children need to learn how to respond and communicate in the moment, rather than freezing up and letting life push them around. The sooner they realize that they can steer their own course, rather than being like a cork bobbing helplessly on the ocean, the more empowered and secure they will feel as they mature.

The scene I most enjoyed writing in Oddly and Eve: Magical Addition Pairs was when Professor Plus opened Oddly’s mind to new ways of thinking, followed by his conversation with Count Calculator. With Professor Plus, I wanted to nod to one of my favorite literary characters, Professor Digory Kirke from The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, particularly when he explains logical thinking to Peter and Susan. Having regularly introduced philosophy to students as early as second grade, I’ve found that children embrace this kind of thinking early on, and it’s very important to me to include that in my writing. As for my favorite illustration by Barry, it’s the one where Oddly and Eve make their amazing discovery together in a burst of energy that appears above them on page 12 of the paperback!

When is your next book coming out, and what can your fans expect?

I have many more books coming out, even this month, and throughout the year, for entire families to enjoy. Right now, I’m building a well-rounded body of work for all elementary grades, from pre-K to 6th, to increase my audience and enrich my standards-based and lively presentations during my school author visits.

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