Although his career of writing for children spanned only slightly more than a decade, Edward Eager made a distinctive contribution to twentieth-century children's literature. His two animal stories, Mouse Manor (1952) and Playing Possum (1955), are innovative and appealing in the unsentimental, straightforward characterization of animal figures. Even more important, Eager's series of seven books on the theme of magic made use of a new imaginative element in children's literature without sacrificing realistic character or setting. What the author called "daily magic" successfully integrated the realism of ordinary children living typical lives with romantic adventures that spring from the sudden appearance in their midst of a magic object, such as a book or a coin. Young readers of these books feel convinced that at any moment a magic token might inject a touch of wonder into their own daily lives.

Edward McMaken Eager was born and grew up in Toledo...