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Queen Zixi of Ix
Queen Zixi of Ix is a children's fantasy novel written by L. Frank Baum. The story follows two children, Bud and Fluff, who are granted a wish by a fairy queen named Zixi. They wish to become king and queen of a magical kingdom, but soon realize that ruling a kingdom is not as easy as they thought. Along the way, they encounter a variety of magical creatures and obstacles, including a wicked witch and a mischievous genie. With the help of their loyal subjects and Queen Zixi herself, Bud and Fluff learn valuable lessons about leadership, responsibility, and the true meaning of happiness. The book is filled with colorful illustrations and imaginative world-building, making it a beloved classic in children's literature.The fairies assembled one moonlit night in a pretty clearing of the ancient forest of Burzee. The clearing was in the form of a circle, and all around stood giant oak and fir trees, while in the center the grass grew green and soft as velvet. If any mortal had ever penetrated so far into the great forest and could have looked upon the fairy circle by daylight, he might perhaps have seen a tiny path worn in the grass by the feet of the dancing elves.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.
108 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1905
About the author
L. Frank Baum
3,592 books2,846 followersalso wrote under the names:
* Edith van Dyne,
* Floyd Akers,
* Schuyler Staunton,
* John Estes Cooke,
* Suzanne Metcalf,
* Laura Bancroft,
* Louis F. Baum,
* Captain Hugh Fitzgerald
Lyman Frank Baum was an American author best known for his children's fantasy books, particularly The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, part of a series. In addition to the 14 Oz books, Baum penned 41 other novels (not including four lost, unpublished novels), 83 short stories, over 200 poems, and at least 42 scripts. He made numerous attempts to bring his works to the stage and screen; the 1939 adaptation of the first Oz book became a landmark of 20th-century cinema.
Born and raised in Chittenango, New York, Baum moved west after an unsuccessful stint as a theater producer and playwright. He and his wife opened a store in South Dakota and he edited and published a newspaper. They then moved to Chicago, where he worked as a newspaper reporter and published children's literature, coming out with the first Oz book in 1900. While continuing his writing, among his final projects he sought to establish a film studio focused on children's films in Los Angeles, California.
His works anticipated such later commonplaces as television, augmented reality, laptop computers (The Master Key), wireless telephones (Tik-Tok of Oz), women in high-risk and action-heavy occupations (Mary Louise in the Country), and the ubiquity of advertising on clothing (Aunt Jane's Nieces at Work).
* Edith van Dyne,
* Floyd Akers,
* Schuyler Staunton,
* John Estes Cooke,
* Suzanne Metcalf,
* Laura Bancroft,
* Louis F. Baum,
* Captain Hugh Fitzgerald
Lyman Frank Baum was an American author best known for his children's fantasy books, particularly The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, part of a series. In addition to the 14 Oz books, Baum penned 41 other novels (not including four lost, unpublished novels), 83 short stories, over 200 poems, and at least 42 scripts. He made numerous attempts to bring his works to the stage and screen; the 1939 adaptation of the first Oz book became a landmark of 20th-century cinema.
Born and raised in Chittenango, New York, Baum moved west after an unsuccessful stint as a theater producer and playwright. He and his wife opened a store in South Dakota and he edited and published a newspaper. They then moved to Chicago, where he worked as a newspaper reporter and published children's literature, coming out with the first Oz book in 1900. While continuing his writing, among his final projects he sought to establish a film studio focused on children's films in Los Angeles, California.
His works anticipated such later commonplaces as television, augmented reality, laptop computers (The Master Key), wireless telephones (Tik-Tok of Oz), women in high-risk and action-heavy occupations (Mary Louise in the Country), and the ubiquity of advertising on clothing (Aunt Jane's Nieces at Work).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
May 23, 2022
Read this for book club. It was a quick, whimsical read. I actually haven't read any of the Oz books so I'm not sure how this compares to the prose. I could see it being a fun bedtime read for a younger kid. I'm kind of obsessed with the abrupt rude ending where
April 5, 2018
This was a fun children's story.
December 31, 2021
eponymous sentence:
p43: "...Queen Zixi of Ix has fought a hundred battles and never yet met with defeat!"
grammar:
p48: "I think yours is a little the longer," said Adlena, and threw it over the shoulders of the princes.
This is actually quite good. Didn't feel like a rehash of his earlier books at all. Gave me The Adventures of Baron Munchausen vibes.
p43: "...Queen Zixi of Ix has fought a hundred battles and never yet met with defeat!"
grammar:
p48: "I think yours is a little the longer," said Adlena, and threw it over the shoulders of the princes.
This is actually quite good. Didn't feel like a rehash of his earlier books at all. Gave me The Adventures of Baron Munchausen vibes.
April 4, 2017
I read many of Mr. Baum's books as a kid and remember enjoying them. When I came across this one it seemed time to read one of his stories again. I don't think I'd come across this one before, and it has such a lovely fairy tale feel that I thoroughly enjoyed it.
April 17, 2022
Quite a change from the usual run of Oz books. This one has a darker and more mature overtone. Still an interesting read, with some sadness underlying the story.
January 22, 2025
Fun little children’s story! Still cleaning off my bookshelf.😂
June 11, 2025
Not for the first time, the title is a bit misleading, because Zixi isn't really the protagonist of the story. But it's a pretty entertaining story; I enjoyed it.
November 29, 2025
- "Princess Fluff" is the cutest name ever
- I love John R Neill, but oh my goodness F Richardson your art is amazing I loved it
- lowkey I skimmed this after 50% bc why did the titular character not show up until then?? L Frank Baum is not good at naming his books
- I love John R Neill, but oh my goodness F Richardson your art is amazing I loved it
- lowkey I skimmed this after 50% bc why did the titular character not show up until then?? L Frank Baum is not good at naming his books
January 5, 2023
Another classic Baum tale. This is not part of his Oz series, although the land of Ix is mentioned in some of the Oz tales. This stand-alone fairy tale has a very distinct plot (unlike some of the Oz books), albeit with unexpected side wanderings common to classic folk and fairy tales. As always, Baum spins a good yarn, full of magic, adventure, a little humor, and a bit of a moral lesson. A fun read for all ages!
March 5, 2022
I'll be honest that I've been putting off reading the rest of my Baum books because the last couple have been a bit disappointing. Was I remembering them as better than they actually were?
Baum had noted that this was his best work, and he might actually be right. I'd have to do a head-to-head comparison without childhood nostalgia in the way, since Glinda of Oz and Sky Island were always my favorites, but this is definitely equal to and perhaps better than the latter. It has a little less of Baum's trademark quirkiness and subscribes more to the structure of a typical fairy tale, which makes it a very pleasant, easy read with a satisfying arc. And I have always loved fairy tales.
Some parts were a bit silly, still, and the timeline surrounding the Roly-Rogues was particularly absurd - all that happened over the course of a couple days? Plus it was never particularly clear how old King Bud and Princess Fluff were - some of the action could've easily spread out over a few years, as they grew up and became accustomed to their roles - instead of all taking place within a few short months. But a reader forgives such things in a story like this.
Queen Zixi, despite being the title character, is absolutely not the main character of this story in any way. The alternate title, "The Story of the Magic Cloak," might've been Baum's original suggestion, and I suspect his publishers would've pressed him to make this story sound more like the super-successful Oz he'd spent years trying to avoiding revisiting.
I'm not really sure who the main character is, honestly, and maybe that's one of the book's flaws. It's kind of about Bud and his sister, who were orphaned by the ferryman who'd adopted them the last time they were orphaned - an unnecessary and rather nice sidenote, that they were raised and loved by a father who wasn't related to them by blood.
Their "evil aunt," who takes them in and hauls them off to the city where she works as a laundrywoman, turns out to be nice enough after all, once she has enough money and pretty clothes to lift away all the day-to-day worries that'd made her cross and a bit cruel to the children. She doesn't begrudge Bud his sudden kingship - she just wants to live in the castle, too!
Similarly, all the king's advisors, while foolish and selfish in their own ways, never showed the slightest hint of being power-hungry or trying to take the kingdom for themselves. They're happy enough to dig out an old book of laws, appoint their new king, and let that child rule.
Then there's Queen Ziwi, a witch who's presented as a potential enemy of Bud's kingdom, but turns out to be quite a friend, in the end.
That's all typical Baum, with a few irredeemable characters (the vicious Roly-Rogues), and a pleasant veneer of niceness spread over everything else. And of course there are fairies, Baum's favorite, who bestow a magical cloak upon the kingdom, then take it away when it starts doing more harm than good. (Although it seemed rather unfair to me to take away the dog's ability to speak - how was that a foolish wish?? Also: did the aunt get to keep her wings?)
I did find it a little annoying that Bud was a pretty selfish child whose sister did most of the ruling while he spent his kingdom's money on toys and complained about his duties. He's young, yeah, and ultimately he made a selfless wish, but none of that character development really happened over the course of the story itself. That's why it would've been nice for the timeline to extend a bit...but Baum never really lets his characters grow up.
It's interesting that all of Baum's attempts to establish other worlds ultimately folded back into Oz. I don't remember Queen Zixi, but apparently she visits Ozma in another book, and the fairy forest in the beginning of this one is the same one where Santa Claus grew up in The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus. I definitely didn't enjoy that book enough to ever reread it, but I like that I was able to recognize the setting here.
Those kinds of touches helped to make Baum into such a beloved children's author - it's nice to feel at home in another world, and to have the sense that you know your way around a place so unlike your ordinary surroundings. Baum is good at infusing words with magic and making them feel tangible and entirely approachable.
Baum had noted that this was his best work, and he might actually be right. I'd have to do a head-to-head comparison without childhood nostalgia in the way, since Glinda of Oz and Sky Island were always my favorites, but this is definitely equal to and perhaps better than the latter. It has a little less of Baum's trademark quirkiness and subscribes more to the structure of a typical fairy tale, which makes it a very pleasant, easy read with a satisfying arc. And I have always loved fairy tales.
Some parts were a bit silly, still, and the timeline surrounding the Roly-Rogues was particularly absurd - all that happened over the course of a couple days? Plus it was never particularly clear how old King Bud and Princess Fluff were - some of the action could've easily spread out over a few years, as they grew up and became accustomed to their roles - instead of all taking place within a few short months. But a reader forgives such things in a story like this.
Queen Zixi, despite being the title character, is absolutely not the main character of this story in any way. The alternate title, "The Story of the Magic Cloak," might've been Baum's original suggestion, and I suspect his publishers would've pressed him to make this story sound more like the super-successful Oz he'd spent years trying to avoiding revisiting.
I'm not really sure who the main character is, honestly, and maybe that's one of the book's flaws. It's kind of about Bud and his sister, who were orphaned by the ferryman who'd adopted them the last time they were orphaned - an unnecessary and rather nice sidenote, that they were raised and loved by a father who wasn't related to them by blood.
Their "evil aunt," who takes them in and hauls them off to the city where she works as a laundrywoman, turns out to be nice enough after all, once she has enough money and pretty clothes to lift away all the day-to-day worries that'd made her cross and a bit cruel to the children. She doesn't begrudge Bud his sudden kingship - she just wants to live in the castle, too!
Similarly, all the king's advisors, while foolish and selfish in their own ways, never showed the slightest hint of being power-hungry or trying to take the kingdom for themselves. They're happy enough to dig out an old book of laws, appoint their new king, and let that child rule.
Then there's Queen Ziwi, a witch who's presented as a potential enemy of Bud's kingdom, but turns out to be quite a friend, in the end.
That's all typical Baum, with a few irredeemable characters (the vicious Roly-Rogues), and a pleasant veneer of niceness spread over everything else. And of course there are fairies, Baum's favorite, who bestow a magical cloak upon the kingdom, then take it away when it starts doing more harm than good. (Although it seemed rather unfair to me to take away the dog's ability to speak - how was that a foolish wish?? Also: did the aunt get to keep her wings?)
I did find it a little annoying that Bud was a pretty selfish child whose sister did most of the ruling while he spent his kingdom's money on toys and complained about his duties. He's young, yeah, and ultimately he made a selfless wish, but none of that character development really happened over the course of the story itself. That's why it would've been nice for the timeline to extend a bit...but Baum never really lets his characters grow up.
It's interesting that all of Baum's attempts to establish other worlds ultimately folded back into Oz. I don't remember Queen Zixi, but apparently she visits Ozma in another book, and the fairy forest in the beginning of this one is the same one where Santa Claus grew up in The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus. I definitely didn't enjoy that book enough to ever reread it, but I like that I was able to recognize the setting here.
Those kinds of touches helped to make Baum into such a beloved children's author - it's nice to feel at home in another world, and to have the sense that you know your way around a place so unlike your ordinary surroundings. Baum is good at infusing words with magic and making them feel tangible and entirely approachable.
March 16, 2025
Queen Zixi of Ix was an interesting fairy tale from Baum, but doesn't quite capture the magic of his most famous series, Oz.
The setting and tone are very different than the two Baum series I've read, as he tries to give this book a more classical feel. He sets it in a vaguely European country instead of an American one, and avoiding modern technology, which are two of the things that make his writing really unique. While not poor, the settings and the characters both lack a certain flair and distinction, as his normal ironic social commentary is almost completely gone, his characters lack personality, and the narrative lack direction. His normal authorial tone is different here too.
The most interesting aspect of this novel is the character Zixi herself. While the other plots drag at times, when Witch-Queen Zixi enters the novel halfway through, the story gets radically more interesting. As the most engaging character she dominates the book. Bud and Fluff are almost completely passive and agenda less, and it is Zixi who pushes the story forward, and also she who is the only character who exhibits any kind of growth.
Baum's feminist agenda in Queen Zixi of Ix is intriguing as a reader because of the continued trend in his work where he depicts women political leaders as strong, competent, and best for a country. Men, on the other hand, like the childish Bud and his advisors, quickly lead their country to chaos. But even Bud has an older sister Fluff, who reels him in and provides guidance when needed. Both Zixi and Aunt Rivette act as critiques of vanity and vacuousness, and while Aunt Rivette is a cruel older woman, her foil Zixi is a good ruler and person despite a lapse in her better judgement, which she grows from. The important detail of her person as not fairy, but a human Witch-Queen seems to be an idea taken directly from Matilda Gage's political writings. Overall, this book was mildly entertaining to those who are passionate about Baum's work but probably would not be so to others. It's a fun read if you are interested in Zixi or the feminist influences on Baum, but otherwise I would not recommend it.
The setting and tone are very different than the two Baum series I've read, as he tries to give this book a more classical feel. He sets it in a vaguely European country instead of an American one, and avoiding modern technology, which are two of the things that make his writing really unique. While not poor, the settings and the characters both lack a certain flair and distinction, as his normal ironic social commentary is almost completely gone, his characters lack personality, and the narrative lack direction. His normal authorial tone is different here too.
The most interesting aspect of this novel is the character Zixi herself. While the other plots drag at times, when Witch-Queen Zixi enters the novel halfway through, the story gets radically more interesting. As the most engaging character she dominates the book. Bud and Fluff are almost completely passive and agenda less, and it is Zixi who pushes the story forward, and also she who is the only character who exhibits any kind of growth.
Baum's feminist agenda in Queen Zixi of Ix is intriguing as a reader because of the continued trend in his work where he depicts women political leaders as strong, competent, and best for a country. Men, on the other hand, like the childish Bud and his advisors, quickly lead their country to chaos. But even Bud has an older sister Fluff, who reels him in and provides guidance when needed. Both Zixi and Aunt Rivette act as critiques of vanity and vacuousness, and while Aunt Rivette is a cruel older woman, her foil Zixi is a good ruler and person despite a lapse in her better judgement, which she grows from. The important detail of her person as not fairy, but a human Witch-Queen seems to be an idea taken directly from Matilda Gage's political writings. Overall, this book was mildly entertaining to those who are passionate about Baum's work but probably would not be so to others. It's a fun read if you are interested in Zixi or the feminist influences on Baum, but otherwise I would not recommend it.
July 23, 2026
L. Frank Baum is of course best known for the Oz books. But my mother, who loved Oz books and read them to me before I could read myself, said that "Queen Zixi" was her favorite Baum book. Years later, I've finally gotten around to reading it, and she was right. It's a kids' book but very enjoyable for adults as well.
It's not the Oz world, with a tornado from Kansas and an American con man pretending to be a wizard. It's really more a fairy tale, with a country that has a strange, random way of choosing its new king, who turns out to be a 12 year old boy -- who is a very believable boy. And his sister has a magical cloak that will grant a single wish. Let the adventures begin!
There's lots of humor, and the characters are well drawn. They evolve as the story unfolds, including Queen Zixi herself, who is a witch-queen of a neighboring country. Everyone learns responsibility and the limits to getting whatever you wish, but never in a preachy way.
It's not the Oz world, with a tornado from Kansas and an American con man pretending to be a wizard. It's really more a fairy tale, with a country that has a strange, random way of choosing its new king, who turns out to be a 12 year old boy -- who is a very believable boy. And his sister has a magical cloak that will grant a single wish. Let the adventures begin!
There's lots of humor, and the characters are well drawn. They evolve as the story unfolds, including Queen Zixi herself, who is a witch-queen of a neighboring country. Everyone learns responsibility and the limits to getting whatever you wish, but never in a preachy way.
January 16, 2022
L. Frank Baum is well known for his book “The Wizard of Oz” and other books in the series.
The fairy tale takes place in the kingdom of Noland, next to the Kingdom of Ix. It is a tale of a boy who becomes king of Noland under unusual circumstance. He isn’t prepared for it, as he comes from a poor family and little education.
There is a magic wishing cloak, the Queen Zixi who wants the cloak, five high counselors – Tullydub, Tollydob, Tillydib, Tallydab and Tellydeb, the king’s valet Jikki, Aunt Rivette and more colourful and unusual characters. It is a fairy tale to the nth degree. Adventure, magic, comedy and more are found as you read.
What sets it off are the 90 illustrations from the original first publishing of the story. The story was serialized between 1904-1905 and the drawings were done for the serial. They are in black and white with much detail.
The fairy tale takes place in the kingdom of Noland, next to the Kingdom of Ix. It is a tale of a boy who becomes king of Noland under unusual circumstance. He isn’t prepared for it, as he comes from a poor family and little education.
There is a magic wishing cloak, the Queen Zixi who wants the cloak, five high counselors – Tullydub, Tollydob, Tillydib, Tallydab and Tellydeb, the king’s valet Jikki, Aunt Rivette and more colourful and unusual characters. It is a fairy tale to the nth degree. Adventure, magic, comedy and more are found as you read.
What sets it off are the 90 illustrations from the original first publishing of the story. The story was serialized between 1904-1905 and the drawings were done for the serial. They are in black and white with much detail.
January 28, 2020
I love this book! It's a downright, good, oldfashioned fairy tale. I'm in the middle of reading all the Oz books, and got tired of them, so decided to take a break and read this one instead.
Baum really is an interesting fellow. A good deal of his work is so fluffy and annoying, but he slips in remarkable points amidst the fluff. I don't think I've seen a character like Zixi before, other than the Nome King in Ozma of Oz. She sees the folly of her ways, repents, and seeks to do good.
Then there is the method of picking the king, which is a very novel idea that I haven't seen before either.
Overall all the characters were very well created, even the minor characters later on in the book, such as the old woman making the crazy quilt and the miller's wife.
Baum really is an interesting fellow. A good deal of his work is so fluffy and annoying, but he slips in remarkable points amidst the fluff. I don't think I've seen a character like Zixi before, other than the Nome King in Ozma of Oz. She sees the folly of her ways, repents, and seeks to do good.
Then there is the method of picking the king, which is a very novel idea that I haven't seen before either.
Overall all the characters were very well created, even the minor characters later on in the book, such as the old woman making the crazy quilt and the miller's wife.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 21, 2024
Maybe just for the contrast from heavier reading, but i really enjoyed this 119 year old children's tale. A mix of fairy tale and early fantasy writing, it fits in the gap between the moral tales of Aesop and the second worlds of modern-fantasy. Oz doesn't get a mention, but it feels like Noland is on the same continent.
Inspires me to read another of LFB's imaginative works.
Inspires me to read another of LFB's imaginative works.
December 25, 2024
Baum Free #11
Oz #2.5
Although this is not listed as a book in the Oz series, I am recording it as a half book in the series as it features characters who will later appear in the series.
Anyway apart from all that, this book was an average read with some interest, more so for the fact of the relationship, herewith untold so far, with Oz.
Oz #2.5
Although this is not listed as a book in the Oz series, I am recording it as a half book in the series as it features characters who will later appear in the series.
Anyway apart from all that, this book was an average read with some interest, more so for the fact of the relationship, herewith untold so far, with Oz.
December 4, 2017
Great Book
While this book isn’t about OZ it is about inhabitants of other fairy lands. Those inhabitants do visit OZ at least once during the series. This is the story of how they came to be.
While this book isn’t about OZ it is about inhabitants of other fairy lands. Those inhabitants do visit OZ at least once during the series. This is the story of how they came to be.
March 7, 2018
It was good. I was looking for a book starting with Q and ran across this one. It was well told. Nothing super wow, but I can't say it was bad. Not the best I've ever read, but adventuresome all the same. It was nice to read something else by this author.
July 28, 2017
I absolutely loved this book, and I think it's a shame it's not more well known. Baum did a great job with how zany the story is and though it isn't Oz, it's still wonderful.
April 23, 2019
This was a delightful odd fairy tale. I tend to find Baum's non-Oz works less enjoyable, so I was pleasantly surprised with how well put together this story is. I'm glad to own the physical book!
March 10, 2023
This felt very fresh compared to some of Baum's other books. I really enjoyed learning about Queen Zixi who appeared only once in the Oz series.
July 26, 2026
Lesser known but really enjoyable book from one of the Grandfathers of fantasy.
May 31, 2016
Su L. Frank Baum non dirò nulla: è il papà de Il meraviglioso mago di Oz e tanto basta. Per quanto riguarda La storia del mantello magico, invece, ecco come lo stesso autore parlava del manoscritto in una lettera indirizzata a suo figlio maggiore.
[…] È il mio lavoro migliore. Più vicino alle fiabe vecchio stile di qualunque cosa abbia scritto sinora.
Ora, che questo libro sia migliore de Il meraviglioso mago di Oz non mi vede proprio d’accordo, rimane il fatto che ho letto parecchio della produzione di Baum, e certamente La storia del mantello magico è uno dei suoi lavori più riusciti.
Va detto che il Mago divenne per l’autore una gabbia dorata. Il successo del libro obbligò Baum a scrivere una serie infinita di volumi su Oz - gli editori non volevano altro da lui. E anche in seguito egli non ebbe mai più una reale libertà espressiva: ormai era stato classificato come autore per ragazzi, con tutti i limiti che tale etichetta comportava.
Bisogna tenere presente che la letteratura per l’infanzia dell’epoca, seppur in forte rinnovamento (rinnovamento che lo stesso Baum aveva contribuito ad avviare con il suo Mago), non era certo quella che conosciamo oggi. C’era una visione molto ristretta degli argomenti ritenuti appropriati a un bambino e le idee spesso scarseggiavano.
Fatta questa premessa, passiamo ora a La storia del mantello magico. Il romanzo si divide idealmente in due parti: la prima mi è piaciuta molto, la seconda per nulla.
Nella prima parte si narra della tessitura del mantello e dei ripetuti tentativi di Zixi, la regina strega di un piccolo regno incantato, di sottrarre l’indumento a Fiocco e Lallo, la coppia di bambini protagonisti – e sin qui nulla da dire: la storia scorre che è un piacere ed effettivamente fa pensare alla migliore tradizione delle fiabe classiche europee.
Proprio come una fiaba, però, la prima parte risulta di breve respiro, si esaurisce in poche pagine, e a metà del libro è già bell’e finita. Che fare? Baum nel tentativo di allungare il brodo aggiunge una seconda parte, i cui protagonisti sono i Rudi-Rolli, delle creature malvagie a forma di palla, che poco o nulla hanno a che fare con il resto e che, peraltro, ricordano molto alcuni mostri già apparsi ne Il meraviglioso mago di Oz.
In questo modo quella che sarebbe potuta essere una graziosa novella di una cinquantina di pagine diventa un romanzo piuttosto mediocre. Certo, la prosa è ottima, sempre perfettamente calibrata al tono del racconto, ma purtroppo non basta a salvare un libro che fondamentalmente è l’addizione di due episodi sconnessi fra loro.
Infine, due parole sull’edizione italiana del romanzo. La storia del mantello magico è la prima traduzione del libro nella nostra lingua, è pubblicata da Donzelli e accompagnata da tavole originali della francese Aurélia Fronty. Peccato per il prezzo: 25€, un costo esagerato, considerando il formato ridotto.
[…] È il mio lavoro migliore. Più vicino alle fiabe vecchio stile di qualunque cosa abbia scritto sinora.
Ora, che questo libro sia migliore de Il meraviglioso mago di Oz non mi vede proprio d’accordo, rimane il fatto che ho letto parecchio della produzione di Baum, e certamente La storia del mantello magico è uno dei suoi lavori più riusciti.
Va detto che il Mago divenne per l’autore una gabbia dorata. Il successo del libro obbligò Baum a scrivere una serie infinita di volumi su Oz - gli editori non volevano altro da lui. E anche in seguito egli non ebbe mai più una reale libertà espressiva: ormai era stato classificato come autore per ragazzi, con tutti i limiti che tale etichetta comportava.
Bisogna tenere presente che la letteratura per l’infanzia dell’epoca, seppur in forte rinnovamento (rinnovamento che lo stesso Baum aveva contribuito ad avviare con il suo Mago), non era certo quella che conosciamo oggi. C’era una visione molto ristretta degli argomenti ritenuti appropriati a un bambino e le idee spesso scarseggiavano.
Fatta questa premessa, passiamo ora a La storia del mantello magico. Il romanzo si divide idealmente in due parti: la prima mi è piaciuta molto, la seconda per nulla.
Nella prima parte si narra della tessitura del mantello e dei ripetuti tentativi di Zixi, la regina strega di un piccolo regno incantato, di sottrarre l’indumento a Fiocco e Lallo, la coppia di bambini protagonisti – e sin qui nulla da dire: la storia scorre che è un piacere ed effettivamente fa pensare alla migliore tradizione delle fiabe classiche europee.
Proprio come una fiaba, però, la prima parte risulta di breve respiro, si esaurisce in poche pagine, e a metà del libro è già bell’e finita. Che fare? Baum nel tentativo di allungare il brodo aggiunge una seconda parte, i cui protagonisti sono i Rudi-Rolli, delle creature malvagie a forma di palla, che poco o nulla hanno a che fare con il resto e che, peraltro, ricordano molto alcuni mostri già apparsi ne Il meraviglioso mago di Oz.
In questo modo quella che sarebbe potuta essere una graziosa novella di una cinquantina di pagine diventa un romanzo piuttosto mediocre. Certo, la prosa è ottima, sempre perfettamente calibrata al tono del racconto, ma purtroppo non basta a salvare un libro che fondamentalmente è l’addizione di due episodi sconnessi fra loro.
Infine, due parole sull’edizione italiana del romanzo. La storia del mantello magico è la prima traduzione del libro nella nostra lingua, è pubblicata da Donzelli e accompagnata da tavole originali della francese Aurélia Fronty. Peccato per il prezzo: 25€, un costo esagerato, considerando il formato ridotto.
April 19, 2010
In this lesser known tale by L. Frank Baum, the good fairy queen Lulea and her band of fairies decide to alleviate her boredom with dancing by creating a magical wishing cloak that will grant each wearer a single wish unless they have come by the garment in an underhanded means. The Man in the Moon suggests they give to the first unhappy person they encounter. After all, he points out, “The happy mortals have no need of magic cloaks.”
They dispense the cloak by messenger to the land of Noland, where the king has just died without an heir. After several days of hand-wringing by his cabinet, they remember eventually that they had a book of laws to refer to for occasions just such as these. The book decrees that the 47th person to enter the capital city’s eastern gate at dawn shall be declared ruler of the kingdom.
Approaching the city of Nole are three miserable travellers: the newly orphaned Margaret (known to all as Fluff) and Timothy (called Bud) and their stern guardian, Aunt Rivette. Bud and his aunt butt heads constantly, leaving Fluff in an endless stream of tears.
These three events conspire to land Bud on the throne of the land and Fluff in a more cheerful state of mind. They are whisked off to the castle, where they live happily for a good while, enjoying the periodic and accidental dispensing of odd wishes — from wings to a talking dog — to various people who unknowingly come into contact with the cloak.
It is not a perfect life in Noland, though, for there are enemies gathered outside the boundaries of the land. Queen Zixi of the adjoining Ix was not on speaking terms with her neighbors. A 683-year-old enchantress who had found a way to appear eternally youthful, she immediately coveted the magic cloak when she heard tell of its existence. She yearns to use it to turn the wrinkled visage she sees in the mirror to the same outward beauty her subjects see. And she’s not above using both trickery and force to try to get her hands on it.
Along another border, the Roly-Rogues, a quarrelsome, ball-shaped, bouncy people, have discovered the existence of the Nolanders and seek to invade and take over the land and its people.
Will the cloak be able to save them? Or will its wishes be squandered by foolish mortals?
This fairy tale is sweet and would make a good read-aloud bedtime book for families. And apparently Baum also created a silent film version of the story, which is available on dvd.
They dispense the cloak by messenger to the land of Noland, where the king has just died without an heir. After several days of hand-wringing by his cabinet, they remember eventually that they had a book of laws to refer to for occasions just such as these. The book decrees that the 47th person to enter the capital city’s eastern gate at dawn shall be declared ruler of the kingdom.
Approaching the city of Nole are three miserable travellers: the newly orphaned Margaret (known to all as Fluff) and Timothy (called Bud) and their stern guardian, Aunt Rivette. Bud and his aunt butt heads constantly, leaving Fluff in an endless stream of tears.
These three events conspire to land Bud on the throne of the land and Fluff in a more cheerful state of mind. They are whisked off to the castle, where they live happily for a good while, enjoying the periodic and accidental dispensing of odd wishes — from wings to a talking dog — to various people who unknowingly come into contact with the cloak.
It is not a perfect life in Noland, though, for there are enemies gathered outside the boundaries of the land. Queen Zixi of the adjoining Ix was not on speaking terms with her neighbors. A 683-year-old enchantress who had found a way to appear eternally youthful, she immediately coveted the magic cloak when she heard tell of its existence. She yearns to use it to turn the wrinkled visage she sees in the mirror to the same outward beauty her subjects see. And she’s not above using both trickery and force to try to get her hands on it.
Along another border, the Roly-Rogues, a quarrelsome, ball-shaped, bouncy people, have discovered the existence of the Nolanders and seek to invade and take over the land and its people.
Will the cloak be able to save them? Or will its wishes be squandered by foolish mortals?
This fairy tale is sweet and would make a good read-aloud bedtime book for families. And apparently Baum also created a silent film version of the story, which is available on dvd.
August 25, 2010
The introduction to the copy of this book I borrowed from the library bravely declares it L. Frank Baum's masterpiece -- better even than the Oz series -- despite its obscurity. I know nothing about all that. Unlike everyone else who comes to Queen Zixi, it seems, for an additional Baum fix, for me it was my first exposure. My response? I think it was a mostly harmless fairy tale.
In a nutshell, it's the story of a boy (Bud) who happens to be in the right place at the right time and is declared the new ruler of the kingdom of Nole. Meanwhile, his sister (nicknamed Princess Fluff) inherits a fairy-woven cloak that will grant its wearer one wish. For the first half of the book, various characters (including all five of Bud's blundering old advisors) wear the cloak and unknowingly have fulfilled their ludicrous wishes. Queen Zixi of Ix, the witch who has ruled a nearby kingdom for over six centuries hears rumors of the cloak's powers and plots to steal it. In the second half, Nole is invaded by a species of round bouncy glutton-villains (the Roly-Rogues), and the children and Queen Zixi realize they will have to settle their differences and work together to protect both their kingdoms. Why the book is named after Queen Zixi rather than Bud or Princess Fluff is unknown to me. Better alliteration?
I found the story engaging, the book an overall good (and quick) read. That said, Queen Zixi shows its age (and distance from 21st-century notions of political correctness). Why are only the wealthy people smart enough to make "sensible" wishes? Both the introduction and other reviewers have said the book offers its readers (presumably early 20th century American children) important lessons. This I suppose it true. People must work together. Children must respect their elders. Wealthy monarchs must treat their subjects with dignity. When we're in trouble, we mustn't depend on the so-called easy way out. And sometimes, our wishes are best left unfulfilled.
In a nutshell, it's the story of a boy (Bud) who happens to be in the right place at the right time and is declared the new ruler of the kingdom of Nole. Meanwhile, his sister (nicknamed Princess Fluff) inherits a fairy-woven cloak that will grant its wearer one wish. For the first half of the book, various characters (including all five of Bud's blundering old advisors) wear the cloak and unknowingly have fulfilled their ludicrous wishes. Queen Zixi of Ix, the witch who has ruled a nearby kingdom for over six centuries hears rumors of the cloak's powers and plots to steal it. In the second half, Nole is invaded by a species of round bouncy glutton-villains (the Roly-Rogues), and the children and Queen Zixi realize they will have to settle their differences and work together to protect both their kingdoms. Why the book is named after Queen Zixi rather than Bud or Princess Fluff is unknown to me. Better alliteration?
I found the story engaging, the book an overall good (and quick) read. That said, Queen Zixi shows its age (and distance from 21st-century notions of political correctness). Why are only the wealthy people smart enough to make "sensible" wishes? Both the introduction and other reviewers have said the book offers its readers (presumably early 20th century American children) important lessons. This I suppose it true. People must work together. Children must respect their elders. Wealthy monarchs must treat their subjects with dignity. When we're in trouble, we mustn't depend on the so-called easy way out. And sometimes, our wishes are best left unfulfilled.
August 27, 2013
Baum considered this his best work. I'm not certain I agree with him, but it's certainly one of his strongest. If you overlook the names, which get a bit unfortunate in places. A light-hearted thing of fancies and fantasy.
It opens with a court of fairies where the queen does not want to dance. Discussion of the problems of boredom leads to the idea of enchanting something. Finally, they decide to make a cloak that will grant one and only one wish to a person, unless he got the cloak by stealing it. One fairy sets out to give it to the first unhappy person she meets.
Meanwhile, two little orphans, Bud and Fluff (yeah, those are the names -- they are really named Timothy and Margaret), are being taken off to the city by their Aunt Rivette, who goes for corporal punishment. Fluff is very, very, very miserable, and so gets the cloak. Shortly thereafter, she wishes she could be happy again. And the wish works.
And in the city they are going to, the king has died, leaving no heir. Finally, his councilors remember the book of law and read they must crown as king the forty-seventh person to come in the gate after dawn. Which, it proves, is Bud.
Three episodes ensue. Bud being king -- in a style that many young readers would think an excellent way to be king, though Fluff does persuade him that he has some responsibilities -- and the cloak going from hand to hand and people making wishes without even knowing it granted them. What Queen Zixi of Ix did when she learned of the cloak and its powers. And one more that would be a bit spoilerish. Involves an alligator that wants to climb trees, subjects who fear Queen Zixi more than they love her, wings being useful for scouting, soup, buying all the toys they could want, an attempt at a witching school, and much more.
It opens with a court of fairies where the queen does not want to dance. Discussion of the problems of boredom leads to the idea of enchanting something. Finally, they decide to make a cloak that will grant one and only one wish to a person, unless he got the cloak by stealing it. One fairy sets out to give it to the first unhappy person she meets.
Meanwhile, two little orphans, Bud and Fluff (yeah, those are the names -- they are really named Timothy and Margaret), are being taken off to the city by their Aunt Rivette, who goes for corporal punishment. Fluff is very, very, very miserable, and so gets the cloak. Shortly thereafter, she wishes she could be happy again. And the wish works.
And in the city they are going to, the king has died, leaving no heir. Finally, his councilors remember the book of law and read they must crown as king the forty-seventh person to come in the gate after dawn. Which, it proves, is Bud.
Three episodes ensue. Bud being king -- in a style that many young readers would think an excellent way to be king, though Fluff does persuade him that he has some responsibilities -- and the cloak going from hand to hand and people making wishes without even knowing it granted them. What Queen Zixi of Ix did when she learned of the cloak and its powers. And one more that would be a bit spoilerish. Involves an alligator that wants to climb trees, subjects who fear Queen Zixi more than they love her, wings being useful for scouting, soup, buying all the toys they could want, an attempt at a witching school, and much more.
March 18, 2012
have been a fan of Baum's Oz series for a long time, so I decided it was about time to give some of his other works a chance. I found that my university had a copy of this particular book, so I checked it out. It was a rather interesting read because I realized I was so familiar with the characters of Oz that I was expecting for them to show up, but they never did. I applaud Baum for creating another world, even if it was never as popular as Oz. He creates a wonderful children's story here that has the exact charm as any of his stories about Oz. He truly is a wonderful writer and can drag you into the nonsense that he creates for these worlds with almost no effort.
April 21, 2014
This book is about a magic cloak The five counselors introduced somewhat earlier of the book and the King of Noland, which was introduced earlier and the book of Laws, because of it, made Bud the King of Noland. And his sister Fluff, the princess - oddly. After Meg and Bud but before the five High Counselors, except the Lord High Counselor, used the cloak, Aunt Rivette used the cloak.
I would recommend this book to Oz fans, people shaped like balls, thorns (just joking), and people I know.
I would recommend this book to Oz fans, people shaped like balls, thorns (just joking), and people I know.
July 13, 2026
A charming and philosophical story. I loved the chapter where Queen Zixi reflects on her desire for the magic cloak and comes to the conclusion that our great desire for things may come from them being outside of our reach. I personally did not care for how the aunt was pardoned after abusing the children.
January 24, 2015
Not as good as the best Oz books, like The Marvelous Land of Oz or Rinkitink in Oz, but better than the lesser ones, like The Road to Oz. So pretty good overall. I like the character development - people change over the course of the story, which was a nice element. And I liked seeing the Forest of Burzee show up in chapter one as the home of the fairies - Baum also has this forest in one of his Santa Claus stories as well, so an interesting continuity. Overall, light entertainment, but interesting to read if you enjoy the Oz books.
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