Guard Your Pizza!

Oval Man, a superhero from outer space must stop Triangularus, resident of Planet Isosceles, from stealing all the triangular slices of cheese pizza on Earth. Can Oval Man and his faithful sidekick pup named Ovaltina stop Triangularus before another child’s lunch disappears into thin air?

Oval Man is a science fantasy book written by retired art and drama teacher Mary Davis Gage. Mary is also a professional storyteller. You can view her website at www.swingingonastarstorytelling.com. Mary holds an MA in Communication & Storytelling Studies from East Tennessee State University. Her attempts to make human and animal figure drawing more fun for her elementary school students blossomed into a series of stories beloved by young artists.

The book also serves as a step-by-step “I Can Draw” tutorial for children using nothing but ovals. Mary’s now 17-year-old daughter provided illustrations during her sophomore year of high school. Mary often notes that Anya, adopted from Moscow as a baby, is a much better artist than she will ever be. Don’t be fooled by the age of the artist and the simplicity of her character and vehicular renderings. They are intentionally straightforward so children (and maybe some adults!) will be encouraged to draw them. Her double-page layouts of the Solar System are lush, vibrant, and intricate.

A large gap exists in children’s literature where science, technology, engineering, arts, and math (STEAM) blend seamlessly. This shortfall led to the creation of Oval Man, an indie book aimed at 2nd-4th grade, but fun for all ages.