Edward Einhornis an author,
playwright,
and director
based in New York.
Edward Einhorn
is an author,
playwright,
and director
based in New York.
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In 2008 
His books include: A Very Improbable Story, The Living House of Oz, Paradox in Oz, and The Golem, Methuselah, and Shylock. Plays include the Off-Broadway production of Fairy Tales of the Absurd, which he co-wrote and directed, Unauthorized Magic, Brains & Puppets, and numerous other plays for both children and adults. His work has been called "extraordinarily ingenious" and "almost unbearably funny" by The New York Times; "entertaining" and "a marvelous teaching tool" by School Library Journal; and "funny" and "fantastical" by Booklist. He has worked as a math tutor, a writing tutor, a drama teacher, and taught writing seminars in schools in New York and New Jersey. Currently, he is Artistic Director of Untitled Theater Company #61.
A Very Improbable Story, by Edward Einhorn (Author), Adam Gustavson (Illustrator) Charlesbridge, 2008, Reading level: Ages 9-12 Hardcover: 32 pages Publisher: Charlesbridge Publishing; New edition (January 15, 2008)
ISBN-10: 1570918716 ISBN-13: 978-1570918711 
Ethan wakes up one morning with a talking cat on his head. The cat refuses to budge until Ethan wins a game of probability. Without looking, Ethan must pick out a dime from his coin collection or two matching socks from his dresser, or do something else improbable. A very improbable story about a challenging math concept.
EDITORIAL REVIEWS:
While waking up with a cat on your head is against the odds, waking up with a talking feline on your head (especially one obsessed with probability games) creates an impossible situation for Ethan. Odds won't move an inch, even through a hated shower, until Ethan wins a game of probability. Will Ethan beat Odds at his game before leaving for the big soccer game? Tension mounts as choosing socks, sorting marbles, or arranging bits of "Oatie-Woofs" breakfast cereal create a series of probability challenges before Ethan finally rids himself of the animal-just in time to figure out the odds of his best soccer scoring possibilities. With a final nod to probability masters Blaise Pascal and Pierre de Fermat, this slim volume introduces a math concept with a flourish of humor and embarrassing, talkative headgear. Full-page oil illustrations accentuate both the actions and expressions of Ethan's improbable morning as Odds the Cat dominates on his head or in shadow. A marvelous teaching tool and an entertaining story.
School Library Journal
This picture book for older children introduces the idea of probability using a funny, fantastical premise: A boy named Ethan wakes up with a talking cat on the top of his head. The cat informs Ethan that he'll get off his head if Ethan wins a game of probability. After cartwheels, jumping jacks, and a shower don't remove the cat, Ethan decides to play along. The two consider a variety of everyday household groupings-coins, socks, marbles, cereal shapes, and even soccer strategies-and eventually Ethan goes from haphazard guessing to a real sense of odds and outcomes. Einhorn moves this math lesson quickly along, spurring it with Ethan's oft-repeated need to get to his soccer game within the hour-and without the cat. Gustavson's appealing oil paintings, which depict Ethan and his little sister in all their befuddled wonder, match well with Einhorn's quirky text and premise. They are full of energy, odd angles, and offbeat perspectives, and kids will want to give them more than a passing glance. Booklist
It's always nice to find high-quality titles with math themes. Math concepts can be taught not only with expository text but also through fun narratives. A Very Improbable Story is an example of a great math-themed picture book.
Tandem insights
This is solid math that also teaches children about its applicability in the wider world.
Kirkus Reviews
Einhorn's (Paradox in Oz) cut-to-the-chase style will have math enthusiasts rapidly engaging their skills to keep up with the fast-paced.... dialogue.
Publisher's Weekly
Paradox in Oz by Edward A. Einhorn (Author), L. Frank Baum (Illustrator), Eric Shanower (Illustrator) Reading level: Ages 9-12 Hardcover: 238 pages Publisher: Hungry Tiger Press; 1 edition (May 1, 2000)
ISBN-10: 1929527012 ISBN-13: 978-1929527014
OZ IS AGING! Ozma, the lovely girl ruler of Oz, must find a way to restore the enchantment that keeps her people young and vibrant. A lovable but puzzling Parrot-Ox named Tempus carries Ozma back through time to seek the source of the aging enchantment. Ozma meets strange versions of her closest friends in an alternate timestream: Glinda, the Wizard, the Cowardly Lion, even Ozma herself! Along the way Ozma gains new allies in her quest: the irrepressible Dr. Majestico, the sympathetic Brussle, and the lovely Princess Ayala. Come journey with Ozma on her greatest adventure as she discovers the final amazing secret that involves the old witch Mombi, a city where nothing is what it seems, and the paradoxical future-history of The Man Who Lives Backwards.
EDITORIAL REVIEWS:
"Released to celebrate the one-hundredth anniversary of L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, this new Oz adventure is true in its narrative style and its black-and-white artwork (by Eric Shanower) to the spirit of the beloved Oz books. . . . both the action and the humor quotient are high, and Oz fans will read to the expected happy ending." Booklist
"The writing is crisp and moves the episodic story along effortlessly. This is a handsome book ... if your readers can't get enough of Oz, this should be on the shelves." School Library Journal
"Edward Einhorn has captured the real spirit of the Emerald City in his Paradox in Oz. This gorgeous book, with a wealth of witty and archetypically Ozian illustrations by Eric Shaower, opens when a plague of aging descends on Princess Ozma's realm, forcing her to take action to save her citizens. . . . This stefnal material is incorporated brilliantly into the Baumian Weltanschauung, and Einhorn's new characters harmonize perfectly with the famous ones. . . . This book insures that Oz will enter the new millenium in style." Asimov's
"... a delightful novel, well written, very much in the mood of Baum's original series, illustrations and all." Piers Anthony, author of the Xanth series, etc.
"What truly takes Paradox out of the ordinary, though, is Einhorn's wonderfully inventive narrative. ... On the whole, Paradox in Oz exudes originality in grappling with numerous intriguing Parrot-Oxes, and the results should be thoroughly pleasurable to Oz enthusiasts. Not since Merry Go Round in Oz, perhaps, has a traditional Oz novel been quite so cleverly crafted."
The Baum Bugle, A Journal of Oz
"Paradox in Oz does full justice to the legacy of the Oz series and will be read and re-read by children (and their parents!)."
Midwest Book Review's "Children's Bookwatch"
"This obviously is a labor of love by devoted Oz fans. . . . Fans of the Oz canon will appreciate this work. Families may be inspired to seek out the original books and read them again."
Catholic Library World
". . . an entertaining book, and the illustrations by Eric Shanower are charming--in fact, they are certain to draw a reluctant reader into . . . paging through the book."
Yellowback Library
The Living House of Oz by Edward Einhorn (Author), L. Frank Baum (Creator), Eric Shanower (Illustrator) Hardcover: 240 pages Publisher: Hungry Tiger Press (June 2005) 
ISBN-10: 192952708X ISBN-13: 978-1929527083
Illegal Magic in Oz! What do you do when your mother is arrested for practicing witchcraft? For thirteen-year-old Buddy the answer is easy—he's off to rescue her from imprisonment in the Emerald City of Oz! Obstacles loom on every side. The giant Bumblebeast brandishes a terrible sting. The Adepts at Magic refuse to help Buddy with their powers. And who are the shadowy creatures with animal heads pursuing Buddy for mysterious reasons? With help from friends such as the living hat stand that calls itself the Earl of Haberdashery, Buddy at last reaches his mother only to find he must challenge the Wizard of Oz and Glinda the Good, the most powerful magic-workers in Oz. As if that isn't enough, the incredible secret of Buddy's past suddenly bursts forth for all to see. Questions and threats bombard him from every side as Buddy finally faces the most important choice of his life. Overflowing with magic, adventure, and everyone's favorite Oz characters—the Scarecrow, Dorothy, Tempus the Parrot-Ox, and many more. The Living House of Oz is a thrilling and hilarious romp from start to finish.
EDITORIAL REVIEWS:
"The combination of Einhorn's wit and Shanower's affectionate envisionings make this Oz adventure a near-tangible reality."
Asimov's
"A message about the power of government twists throughout the humorous story; the illustrations add a dash of spice to what may soon be a children's classic. A thrilling adventure from start to finish."
Curled up with a Good Book
"Enjoyable and actually quite intellectual without going over the heads of younger readers... This is a book that adults and kids will both appreciate."
Baum Bugle
Standard fee for a day in school (up to 4 sessions) is $500, plus expenses
Here are two programs!
Can You Get the Cat Off Your Head?
In the spirit of the book, I present some probability challenges. The children find out whether, if they were Ethan, they would be able to get the cat off their own head. Some of the puzzles that are presented briefly in the book are explained in detail, and a few new ones are introduced, creating a deeper understanding of probability (and magical cats)
How Did It Get to be a Book?
Before I arrive, a few sections of one of the books are read to the students. No illustrations are shown. They are asked to envision what the illustrations would look like. They are asked to pick a section they like and illustrate it, themselves.
When I come, I read them a section from my original, typewritten manuscript of either that same book or another. I explain that when I wrote the book, this is what I sent to the editor. I then walk them through the process of making those pages into the final book, from editing (I show a copy with editor's comments), to initial pencil illustrations (also shown), to inked and/or colored illustrations, to a galley of it all put together, to finally a published version. I ask them if what they envisioned was or was not like what they saw in the end.
One of the most exciting things about this program is it makes the process of creating books seem not just interesting, but possible. It inspires the children in their own writing and illustrating.
Edward Arthur Einhorn
Phone Number 212-866-1073 
Email: utc61@hotmail.com
Website Address: www.edwardeinhorn.com
04/23/08 date this page was last edited Click HERE to return to state page