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Oz #6
The Emerald City of Oz
For the first time in more than eighty years, the most spectacularly illustrated of all the Oz books is available again with the metallic "emerald" green ink that illuminated the color plates of the original edition.
Join Dorothy and the Wonderful Wizard as they take Aunt Em and Uncle Henry on a fabulous tour of Oz. During their journey they encounter such amazing and amusing people as King Kleaver with his Spoon Brigade and Miss Cuttenclip of the land of paper dolls. But while Dorothy and her friends play, the wicked Nome King has joined forces with the terrible Whimsies, the fearsome Growleywogs, and the evil Phanfasms in a plot to capture the Emerald City. Will Dorothy's friends discover the danger before it's too late?
All the enchantment of Oz is here for a whole new generation to discover in this deluxe new edition featuring ninety black-and-white pictures and sixteen dazzling five-color plates by Oz artist John R. Neill.
Afterword by Peter Glassman. For the first time in more than eighty years, the most spectacularly illustrated of all the Oz books is available with the metallic "emerald" green ink that illuminated the original edition. A Books of Wonder(R) Classic
Join Dorothy and the Wonderful Wizard as they take Aunt Em and Uncle Henry on a fabulous tour of Oz. During their journey they encounter such amazing and amusing people as King Kleaver with his Spoon Brigade and Miss Cuttenclip of the land of paper dolls. But while Dorothy and her friends play, the wicked Nome King has joined forces with the terrible Whimsies, the fearsome Growleywogs, and the evil Phanfasms in a plot to capture the Emerald City. Will Dorothy's friends discover the danger before it's too late?
All the enchantment of Oz is here for a whole new generation to discover in this deluxe new edition featuring ninety black-and-white pictures and sixteen dazzling five-color plates by Oz artist John R. Neill.
Afterword by Peter Glassman. For the first time in more than eighty years, the most spectacularly illustrated of all the Oz books is available with the metallic "emerald" green ink that illuminated the original edition. A Books of Wonder(R) Classic
300 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1910
597 people are currently reading
9676 people want to read
About the author
L. Frank Baum
3,210 books2,764 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 645 reviews
October 30, 2018
So... many... puns! I think I've been near punned to death...
This would've made a nice end to the Oz series if Baum'd stuck to his guns and not written any more. Still, thousands of demanding fans and an emptying bank account are difficult to ignore...
This would've made a nice end to the Oz series if Baum'd stuck to his guns and not written any more. Still, thousands of demanding fans and an emptying bank account are difficult to ignore...
July 18, 2011
I liked The Emerald City of Oz a bit better than the last two. There was still an element of characters taking a trip just so Mr. Baum can show off all the other ideas he has for interesting creatures (Look! These ones are living jigsaw puzzles! And over here we have animated flatware! And these people can't stop talking!) but on the whole there was more plot than we've seen for a few books.
First of all, there was some actual evil in the form of the Nome King and his General Guph. And there was a genuine problem to overcome (i.e., the impending destruction of Oz by the Nomes and their allies). Not that Ozma seemed to care much. Drove me nuts that she "really hadn't given it much thought" that creatures who hated her and everything she and her people stood for were about to ravage her land and enslave her people! Really? I wonder if Mr. Baum was a pacifist or, alternately, if he thought pacifists were ridiculous. Ozma's "I-won't-fight-even-to-save-my-people-from-a-fate-worse-than-death" approach kind of left that up to interpretation. Some isolationism shows through, too. Interesting in light of the time in which it was written (early 20th century, prior to World War I).
Anyway, I think Mr. Baum put a bit more in to this book because he planned for it to be the last. He seemed almost gleeful to include Dorothy's little letter in the last chapter. It's definitely an improvement over the last few. And my boys are still loving the series. :)
For more book reviews, come visit my blog, Build Enough Bookshelves.
First of all, there was some actual evil in the form of the Nome King and his General Guph. And there was a genuine problem to overcome (i.e., the impending destruction of Oz by the Nomes and their allies). Not that Ozma seemed to care much. Drove me nuts that she "really hadn't given it much thought" that creatures who hated her and everything she and her people stood for were about to ravage her land and enslave her people! Really? I wonder if Mr. Baum was a pacifist or, alternately, if he thought pacifists were ridiculous. Ozma's "I-won't-fight-even-to-save-my-people-from-a-fate-worse-than-death" approach kind of left that up to interpretation. Some isolationism shows through, too. Interesting in light of the time in which it was written (early 20th century, prior to World War I).
Anyway, I think Mr. Baum put a bit more in to this book because he planned for it to be the last. He seemed almost gleeful to include Dorothy's little letter in the last chapter. It's definitely an improvement over the last few. And my boys are still loving the series. :)
For more book reviews, come visit my blog, Build Enough Bookshelves.
August 7, 2022
Oz vs Nomes, round 2
Things in Kansas look terrible: Uncle Henry is likely to lose the farm. Dorothy gets Ozma, the beautiful, good queen, to transport her back to the Emerald City for good. Once there, she requests that Ozma bring her aunt and uncle, plain American folks from the prairies, to live in Oz. Ozma agrees. Meanwhile, back in the Kingdom of the Nomes, the evil king plots revenge against those nasty Oz people who took his magic belt---see "Ozma of Oz". He dumps a reluctant general or two, then finds an evil character who not only agrees to the invasion through a tunnel under the Deadly Desert, but goes to round up some even more fearsome allies.
The book unfolds along two paths. On the first, Dorothy takes her aunt and uncle on a short tour of a bit of Oz, meeting all sorts of strange inhabitants along the way. On the second path, we follow the Nome King's preparations for the invasion and ultimate enslavement of all the Oz folks and the utter destruction of the country. They are going to emerge from the tunnel right in the Palace Gardens. Ozma, a bit late in the game, gets wind of the Nome King's plans, but seems to have no magic that can counter his evil intentions. The Scarecrow---remember he's the one with the brains !---comes up with a solution, but will it work ? You should read this Oz book to find out.
It's the sixth in the series and has a lot of references to earlier events. Along with "Ozma of Oz" and "Glinda of Oz" I think it has always been my favorite. Baum certainly could never resist a good pun. Who knows ? Maybe I learned to pun from him. The dreamlike illustrations and intriguing stories are unforgettable. If you or your child are still into reading, you should not neglect this particular book, or the whole series. They are five star children's books. If creating another world is one of the primary functions of literature, then the Oz books certainly do that---the world of Oz has stayed with me over seventy years.
Things in Kansas look terrible: Uncle Henry is likely to lose the farm. Dorothy gets Ozma, the beautiful, good queen, to transport her back to the Emerald City for good. Once there, she requests that Ozma bring her aunt and uncle, plain American folks from the prairies, to live in Oz. Ozma agrees. Meanwhile, back in the Kingdom of the Nomes, the evil king plots revenge against those nasty Oz people who took his magic belt---see "Ozma of Oz". He dumps a reluctant general or two, then finds an evil character who not only agrees to the invasion through a tunnel under the Deadly Desert, but goes to round up some even more fearsome allies.
The book unfolds along two paths. On the first, Dorothy takes her aunt and uncle on a short tour of a bit of Oz, meeting all sorts of strange inhabitants along the way. On the second path, we follow the Nome King's preparations for the invasion and ultimate enslavement of all the Oz folks and the utter destruction of the country. They are going to emerge from the tunnel right in the Palace Gardens. Ozma, a bit late in the game, gets wind of the Nome King's plans, but seems to have no magic that can counter his evil intentions. The Scarecrow---remember he's the one with the brains !---comes up with a solution, but will it work ? You should read this Oz book to find out.
It's the sixth in the series and has a lot of references to earlier events. Along with "Ozma of Oz" and "Glinda of Oz" I think it has always been my favorite. Baum certainly could never resist a good pun. Who knows ? Maybe I learned to pun from him. The dreamlike illustrations and intriguing stories are unforgettable. If you or your child are still into reading, you should not neglect this particular book, or the whole series. They are five star children's books. If creating another world is one of the primary functions of literature, then the Oz books certainly do that---the world of Oz has stayed with me over seventy years.
January 24, 2021
This is the sixth book in the Oz series so time for a recap:
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz- ****
The classic one. Also the most violent in the spirit of an old-fashioned fairy tale. The writing isn't as sharp as a few of the sequels, but the setup, otherworldly feel and clever lessons about self-criticism make this a timeless tale.
The Marvelous Land of Oz- ****1/2
The funny one. Baum writes in the introduction how much he enjoyed the comic portrayals of The Scarecrow and Tin Woodsman put on by popular actors. And that clearly inspired him to make this the most whimsical, mirthful adventure I've read in a long time.
Ozma of Oz- ***
The creepy one. Suffers a bit compared to the movie adaptation (Return to Oz) which is quite a bit weirder and darker. Still features more peril than most Oz books as Dorothy finds herself marooned in a strange land surrounded by threatening creatures and eventually the sinister Nome King.
Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz- ***
The one that has a bit of a science fiction feel. An earthquake sends our heroes deep underground where they must traverse several alien societies to climb back to the surface. A highlight has them . A lowlight has
The Road to Oz- **
The one with no conflict. A chilling setup finds Dorothy lost just a few blocks from her home in the company of a mysterious 'Shaggy Man.' But some amusing new characters can't save a plot that is lighter than a giant bubble. This road goes nowhere.
The Emerald City of Oz- *** 1/2
This last one (but not really.) The Nome King returns and he dispatches his general to enlist every wicked monster around for an all-out attack on Oz! The setup proves epic and engaging, with alternating chapters showing the general's efforts at evil diplomacy contrasting with Dorothy touring Oz as an envoy for Ozma. Baum draws a fascinating contrast between Dorothy meeting a series of whimsically weird Ozians and General Blug recruiting a series of equally weird and imaginative villains.
Alas, just like the previous two books, the ending disappoints The villains go from an unstoppable threat to completely harmless in the space of a couple chapters. A pity, as this was probably my second favorite of the series (after Marvelous Land) up until the clunker finale.
Baum meant to end the series here, with the grave threat to Oz causing Ozma to take an isolationist stance and hide her realm forever from the outside world. Popular series can be difficult to draw to a conclusion though, and eight more Baum-penned Oz books await.
Maybe he just struggled with endings in general. I can relate; I often have a tough time finding a proper ending for these book reviews.
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz- ****
The classic one. Also the most violent in the spirit of an old-fashioned fairy tale. The writing isn't as sharp as a few of the sequels, but the setup, otherworldly feel and clever lessons about self-criticism make this a timeless tale.
The Marvelous Land of Oz- ****1/2
The funny one. Baum writes in the introduction how much he enjoyed the comic portrayals of The Scarecrow and Tin Woodsman put on by popular actors. And that clearly inspired him to make this the most whimsical, mirthful adventure I've read in a long time.
Ozma of Oz- ***
The creepy one. Suffers a bit compared to the movie adaptation (Return to Oz) which is quite a bit weirder and darker. Still features more peril than most Oz books as Dorothy finds herself marooned in a strange land surrounded by threatening creatures and eventually the sinister Nome King.
Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz- ***
The one that has a bit of a science fiction feel. An earthquake sends our heroes deep underground where they must traverse several alien societies to climb back to the surface. A highlight has them . A lowlight has
The Road to Oz- **
The one with no conflict. A chilling setup finds Dorothy lost just a few blocks from her home in the company of a mysterious 'Shaggy Man.' But some amusing new characters can't save a plot that is lighter than a giant bubble. This road goes nowhere.
The Emerald City of Oz- *** 1/2
This last one (but not really.) The Nome King returns and he dispatches his general to enlist every wicked monster around for an all-out attack on Oz! The setup proves epic and engaging, with alternating chapters showing the general's efforts at evil diplomacy contrasting with Dorothy touring Oz as an envoy for Ozma. Baum draws a fascinating contrast between Dorothy meeting a series of whimsically weird Ozians and General Blug recruiting a series of equally weird and imaginative villains.
Alas, just like the previous two books, the ending disappoints The villains go from an unstoppable threat to completely harmless in the space of a couple chapters. A pity, as this was probably my second favorite of the series (after Marvelous Land) up until the clunker finale.
Baum meant to end the series here, with the grave threat to Oz causing Ozma to take an isolationist stance and hide her realm forever from the outside world. Popular series can be difficult to draw to a conclusion though, and eight more Baum-penned Oz books await.
Maybe he just struggled with endings in general. I can relate; I often have a tough time finding a proper ending for these book reviews.
January 2, 2023
A comfort read taken up during a particularly protracted reading slump; just the type of low-stakes indulgence I needed & a pleasure to revisit. Remains in my estimation one of the strongest installments of the Oz series, the insurrection attempt by the Gnome King providing a structuring device & narrative tension that makes it feel a bit less episodic—& a bit more high stakes—than other, more rambling volumes. Bonus points for the prominent inclusion of the delightfully impudent Billina the yellow hen, probably my favorite of all the secondary Oz characters.
April 20, 2022
Already the 6th book of The Wizard of Oz Collection. Another adventure of Dorothy and friends.
Dorothy, Uncle Henry and Aunt Em are in Oz after Ozma brought them there. The farm in Kansas is in the hands of the bank, they can no longer afford to stay there. They all get beautiful rooms and the castle and go on a new adventure in this magical fairyland.
I was so happy to read that finally Henry and Em are visiting Oz and know now that Dorothy didn't made it all up. Although throughout the story I thought that Aunt Em was a bit annoying and judgemental.
One of the chapters gave me an Alice in Wonderland vibe, so I checked the cover to what book I'm actually reading.
Am still enjoying this series of 15 books and will read them through the rest of the year.
Dorothy, Uncle Henry and Aunt Em are in Oz after Ozma brought them there. The farm in Kansas is in the hands of the bank, they can no longer afford to stay there. They all get beautiful rooms and the castle and go on a new adventure in this magical fairyland.
I was so happy to read that finally Henry and Em are visiting Oz and know now that Dorothy didn't made it all up. Although throughout the story I thought that Aunt Em was a bit annoying and judgemental.
One of the chapters gave me an Alice in Wonderland vibe, so I checked the cover to what book I'm actually reading.
Am still enjoying this series of 15 books and will read them through the rest of the year.
March 9, 2019
Originally published in 1910, this sixth entry in L. Frank Baum's Oz series alternates between two main story-lines. In the first, Dorothy, Aunt Em and Uncle Henry confront hard times at home in Kansas, with poor weather and Uncle Henry's worsening health threatening the family farm, which is shortly to be repossessed by the bank. Dorothy is encouraged by her aunt and uncle to escape to her fairyland (which her elderly relatives only partially believe in), but with Ozma's help she brings them to live with her in Oz, where they all will henceforth make their permanent home. After meeting Oz's girl ruler and seeing the Emerald City, they set out with some companions on a tour of the land, seeing some unique villages and settlements. Meanwhile, in the second story-line, the Nome King, still smarting from his defeat at the hands of Ozma and her friends in
Ozma of Oz
, decides that the beautiful fairy-land must be conquered and its people enslaved. His new general, Guph, hits upon a cunning scheme: the nomes will dig a tunnel under the terrible desert that protects Oz, and thereby invade the country. Enlisting the help of three terrible bands of evil creatures - the Whimsies, the Growleywogs, and the Phanfasms (a type of Erb) - the Nomes grow ever closer to their goal. Not unexpectedly, these two story-lines eventually converge at the end of the book, as the Ozites confront their invaders in the gardens of Ozma's palace...
I always enjoyed certain aspects of The Emerald City of Oz as a girl, happy in the knowledge that Dorothy was finally in Oz to stay, and that in the end she didn't need to choose between Uncle Henry and Aunt Em and her magical friends and their marvelous land. I also always appreciated the many entertaining puns Baum employed in depicting his various new characters. The chapters devoted to Utensia, a settlement of living kitchen implements, and to Bunbury, a village of living pastries, stand out in this regard. That said, I have always felt (and continued to do so on this rereading) that the author ignored a rather significant plot hole in his story of the invading Nome army and their allies. Namely, that Ozma had only to use her Magic Belt (originally the Nome King's, and a major motivation for the invasion) to wish her enemies back to their own countries. This is, in fact, what she does at the end. Of course this wouldn't have been a long-term solution, as Oz's enemies would not have been reformed, and would have continued to wish her ill, but given the fact that Ozma was considering closing the borders to Oz permanently, it would have worked well enough. Leaving that rather glaring inconsistency of story aside, this is still an entertaining entry in the series, one which Baum clearly envisioned as the final chapter. Clearly that wasn't meant to be...
I always enjoyed certain aspects of The Emerald City of Oz as a girl, happy in the knowledge that Dorothy was finally in Oz to stay, and that in the end she didn't need to choose between Uncle Henry and Aunt Em and her magical friends and their marvelous land. I also always appreciated the many entertaining puns Baum employed in depicting his various new characters. The chapters devoted to Utensia, a settlement of living kitchen implements, and to Bunbury, a village of living pastries, stand out in this regard. That said, I have always felt (and continued to do so on this rereading) that the author ignored a rather significant plot hole in his story of the invading Nome army and their allies. Namely, that Ozma had only to use her Magic Belt (originally the Nome King's, and a major motivation for the invasion) to wish her enemies back to their own countries. This is, in fact, what she does at the end. Of course this wouldn't have been a long-term solution, as Oz's enemies would not have been reformed, and would have continued to wish her ill, but given the fact that Ozma was considering closing the borders to Oz permanently, it would have worked well enough. Leaving that rather glaring inconsistency of story aside, this is still an entertaining entry in the series, one which Baum clearly envisioned as the final chapter. Clearly that wasn't meant to be...
February 13, 2019
I admit that re-reading all these books in chronological order has really revealed how confusing the moral core of these books is. Just in the last book Ozma put a literal kitten on trial and subsequently ordered said kitten's execution - but this book, Ozma refuses to fight what seems to be an objectively evil invading army, because it would be very wrong to harm anyone for any reason. Meanwhile, Dorothy ends up in a land where the people are made of baked goods and before leaving she angrily tells them that they're very selfish not to let her eat some of their children because she is, after all, extremely hungry. It's rather mixed messaging.
I mean to be clear, I'm enjoying this re-read, but as an adult reader I have... questions.
I mean to be clear, I'm enjoying this re-read, but as an adult reader I have... questions.
November 8, 2017
Aunt Em and Uncle Henry have arrived in Oz -- what fun!!
Not only that, but Dorothy and friends get to lead the newcomers to various places around the Land of Oz, and meet some of the most fascinating peoples. My favorites may have the been the living kitchen utensils of Utensia... what wit these people exhibited!
Another intriguing point in this story is that Baum obviously intended for this to be the final book. Lo and behold, his readers didn't allow it. But this makes for a great "Reichenbach Falls" ending, for the moment (Sherlockians know what this means).
Not only that, but Dorothy and friends get to lead the newcomers to various places around the Land of Oz, and meet some of the most fascinating peoples. My favorites may have the been the living kitchen utensils of Utensia... what wit these people exhibited!
Another intriguing point in this story is that Baum obviously intended for this to be the final book. Lo and behold, his readers didn't allow it. But this makes for a great "Reichenbach Falls" ending, for the moment (Sherlockians know what this means).
September 1, 2007
Wow! Baum totally woke himself up out of the daze he'd been in for a couple of books and comes up with an awesome set of villains, some real sense of _stakes_ (not since "Ozma" had he really gone for that), this great country mouse/city mouse stuff with Aunt Em and Uncle Henry IN OZ, and even a cool quasi-ending to the series...though of course we know that wouldn't last.
July 25, 2024
I took a little break from reading the Oz books and wondered if I would have trouble picking up where I left off, but I should not have worried. And it was so good to be back! Baum has created such a peaceful delightful world where you keep running into unique sub-cultures of beings, not quite people but with semi-human characteristics. They usually talk.
The buns in Bunbury were both vocal and edible, but they did not approve of cannibalism. The Rabbit King in Bunnybury was elegantly dressed but not satisfied, until Dorothy helped him see things from another perspective. The hands down punniest place was Utensia with: King Kleaver; Captain Dipp; Prince Karver; the Spoon Brigade; Judge Sifter; High Priest Colender, because he's the holiest thing in the kingdom; Mr. Popp, a corking good lawyer; Sir Jabber, the can-opener, with a prying disposition; a cheeky potato masher and a few other essential but unnamed utensils. Oh, I wish they had been named! Dorothy was sorely and illegally tried there but in spite of all the kitchen items, she never received anything to eat! How rude!
Once again, it looked like there would be a very difficult problem for our heroes and heroines, but all was resolved creatively, cheerfully and humorously.
The buns in Bunbury were both vocal and edible, but they did not approve of cannibalism. The Rabbit King in Bunnybury was elegantly dressed but not satisfied, until Dorothy helped him see things from another perspective. The hands down punniest place was Utensia with: King Kleaver; Captain Dipp; Prince Karver; the Spoon Brigade; Judge Sifter; High Priest Colender, because he's the holiest thing in the kingdom; Mr. Popp, a corking good lawyer; Sir Jabber, the can-opener, with a prying disposition; a cheeky potato masher and a few other essential but unnamed utensils. Oh, I wish they had been named! Dorothy was sorely and illegally tried there but in spite of all the kitchen items, she never received anything to eat! How rude!
Once again, it looked like there would be a very difficult problem for our heroes and heroines, but all was resolved creatively, cheerfully and humorously.
April 5, 2017
Not as good as the last book.
April 17, 2017
Dorothy’s Aunt and Uncle are in trouble at the farm. They do not have enough money to pay everything and they might be expulsed. Dorothy says to them they could go and live in Oz with her and Ozma agrees to that. So, once again, we found ourselves in the beautiful Land of Oz where Dorothy is going to live some great adventures and meet some new people.
Like every time I read an Oz story, I’m amazed at how funny it is. This seems like it was the last story about Oz but I know there are many others, so I am not sure about what happened here, I guess I will see when I read the others.
I had a lot of fun reading this book and I think Oz is one of the greatest story ever, I’m totally fond of this world.
Like every time I read an Oz story, I’m amazed at how funny it is. This seems like it was the last story about Oz but I know there are many others, so I am not sure about what happened here, I guess I will see when I read the others.
I had a lot of fun reading this book and I think Oz is one of the greatest story ever, I’m totally fond of this world.
November 9, 2017
This was one of the best Oz books!!! Dorothy's aunt and uncle move to Oz! They tour the land without knowing that the evil Nome king is tunneling right under them! When Dorothy gets back they fight off the Nome king and all is well......for now.
March 30, 2025
A proper 6 part story that never lags and is timelessly charming.
He goes on to write another 8, and I intend to get to them this year, and I will see the quality …but these 6 are really a fun ride.
He goes on to write another 8, and I intend to get to them this year, and I will see the quality …but these 6 are really a fun ride.
May 2, 2024
Dorothy is back in Oz, this time with her Aunt Em and Uncle Henry. Dorothy is taking her aunt and uncle on a tour of the wonders of Oz when she learns that the Emerald City is about to be attacked by the Gnome King. The Gnome King is angry that he has lost his magic belt, and he wants it back.
This time in Oz we meet more oddly charming characters, and that, for me, has become the delight of the Ozathon. Baum's gift is the creation of very strange, yet completely believable characters.
This time in Oz we meet more oddly charming characters, and that, for me, has become the delight of the Ozathon. Baum's gift is the creation of very strange, yet completely believable characters.
January 24, 2015
Baum originally intended this to be the final Oz book. That didn't work at all, of course, but this book has a very definitive conclusion that's obviously intended to end the entire series. As far as ending a saga goes, he did a good job (even though it didn't last).
This book had more a plot than some, and it had an actual antagonist. The Nome King is a full-on bad guy, and Baum developed this story-telling element a step further by having two separate plots (the adventures of Dorothy, and the schemes of the Nome King) running in alternating chapters until the climax of the book. Very well done, and more advanced than his previous "Dorothy just wandering around Oz" plots.
I also enjoyed the development of the character of Ozma, who is shown to have (what I would consider) a major flaw in this book. I won't go into it for fear of spoilers, but I was really on the edge of my seat at the end of book, thinking "my gosh, did Ozma really just do that?" Well done, Baum - Ozma is still kind, sweet, and a good ruler, but is now no longer a one-dimensional character.
I got a little bored, though, of the "Dorothy wandering around Oz" part of the plot. This is a staple of the Oz books, but for some reason I got frustrated with it more quickly in this book. Maybe it was the absurdity of all of the creatures she encountered and Baum's over-use of puns (like the Kingdom of Utensia, made up of animated flatware and kitchen equipment, and Miss Cuttenclip who lived in a village of paper dolls.)
All in all, a good read, and if this had actually been the last Oz book, I would have been satisfied with it as an ending to a saga.
This book had more a plot than some, and it had an actual antagonist. The Nome King is a full-on bad guy, and Baum developed this story-telling element a step further by having two separate plots (the adventures of Dorothy, and the schemes of the Nome King) running in alternating chapters until the climax of the book. Very well done, and more advanced than his previous "Dorothy just wandering around Oz" plots.
I also enjoyed the development of the character of Ozma, who is shown to have (what I would consider) a major flaw in this book. I won't go into it for fear of spoilers, but I was really on the edge of my seat at the end of book, thinking "my gosh, did Ozma really just do that?" Well done, Baum - Ozma is still kind, sweet, and a good ruler, but is now no longer a one-dimensional character.
I got a little bored, though, of the "Dorothy wandering around Oz" part of the plot. This is a staple of the Oz books, but for some reason I got frustrated with it more quickly in this book. Maybe it was the absurdity of all of the creatures she encountered and Baum's over-use of puns (like the Kingdom of Utensia, made up of animated flatware and kitchen equipment, and Miss Cuttenclip who lived in a village of paper dolls.)
All in all, a good read, and if this had actually been the last Oz book, I would have been satisfied with it as an ending to a saga.
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November 20, 2020I cannot tell if L. Frank Baum is a genius or a quack. The plot is so often meandering and aimless, and the creations and scenarios are ridiculous, but the three listeners between the ages of seven and eleven found places to laugh, cried out in frustration when a chapter ended without all the answers given, and cheered the resolution. These books seem so very dumb; but children--as he himself notes in the foreward--seem to delight in them.
For a time, I thought this was going to be better written than the last couple, with Baum alternating between two storylines, but he ends up neglecting one of them for most of the book, and the second one was there to showcase more of Oz. Baum gets us to the plot climax with what seem like very foolish decisions on the part of the main characters, and he resolves the crisis with surprises that were entirely unprepared for. But all the listeners were satisfied. The book definitely ends with the implication that this is all that will be written about the lands of Oz. Coming to these in the 21st century, however, readers will know that the series continued further (8 more books by Baum, and scores by other writers). The child listeners want more, but I am not sure how much more of it I can take...
For a time, I thought this was going to be better written than the last couple, with Baum alternating between two storylines, but he ends up neglecting one of them for most of the book, and the second one was there to showcase more of Oz. Baum gets us to the plot climax with what seem like very foolish decisions on the part of the main characters, and he resolves the crisis with surprises that were entirely unprepared for. But all the listeners were satisfied. The book definitely ends with the implication that this is all that will be written about the lands of Oz. Coming to these in the 21st century, however, readers will know that the series continued further (8 more books by Baum, and scores by other writers). The child listeners want more, but I am not sure how much more of it I can take...
February 5, 2020
The usual relentless meandering and by now you know there is nothing at stake because it will all be resolved in five minutes while Ozma shrugs. At the end, Baum stares there will be no more stories from Oz, but we still have EIGHT books to go. yikes.
August 19, 2021
פשוט מקסים. כמו בספריו הקודמים, הסופר מצליח לברוא דמויות חדשות וסופר
ססגוניות שמאוד קשה להתעלם מהם. אפילו הנייר, כלי האוכל ומיני המאכלים
קמים לתחייה ולכל אחד מהם מאפיינים ייחודיים המותאמים לו. בל נשכח את
הדלגנים והחששנים ;-) וזה, עוד לפני שכללנו את הדמויות "הרעות" בספר.
ססגוניות שמאוד קשה להתעלם מהם. אפילו הנייר, כלי האוכל ומיני המאכלים
קמים לתחייה ולכל אחד מהם מאפיינים ייחודיים המותאמים לו. בל נשכח את
הדלגנים והחששנים ;-) וזה, עוד לפני שכללנו את הדמויות "הרעות" בספר.
May 26, 2017
Doma Publishing's Wizard of Oz collection has taken me several years to read with my son at bedtime. It was interesting revisiting the texts that I read swiftly through my youth, as I was about his age when I read them and remembered little beyond some of the characters that don't appear in any of the books. I picked up a copy of this version since, for 99c, I could have the complete series along with "All the original artwork by the great illustrator W.W. Denslow (over 1,000 classic illustrations)", and to read the complete 14-book text at bedtime with all original color illustrations on my Kindle Fire knowing that there would be cross-linked tables of contents and no layout issues, it was worth my buck rather than taking them all out of the library. We read these books before bed at home and under the stars by a campfire in the forest, in a hotel in Montreal and in a seaside cottage in Nova Scotia, on a boat and in a car. We read it everywhere, thanks to the Kindle's mobility.
You may be reading this review on one of the individual pages for the original books on Goodreads or Amazon, and if so, all I did was cross-link the books along with the correct dates we read the original texts. The only book I did not cross-link with original dates was the Woggle-bug book, which if you know, is short. Instead, I counted that final book as the review for Doma's Kindle version. You may notice that some books have longer reading spans – probably for two reasons. One, I traded off reading with my wife sometimes, and two, sometimes we needed a little Baum break and read some other books. It did get a little old sometimes, and there are fourteen books totaling 3500 pages in their original library printing.
The first thing I think is worth mentioning is that when I first read these books, it was as a child would read them. I remember them being repetitive but familiar. Comforting and revealing. An antiquated adventure, but a serial adventure with recurring characters unparalleled in any other literature. As an adult with an MA in literature (and soon and MFA in fiction), I am actually somewhat unimpressed with the series. Baum wrote a whimsical set of tales, but they are torturously repetitive and would be easy to plug-and-play by replacing characters and moments with a computer to make an entirely new book. But, they are children's books, and we are completely enthralled and comforted by the familiar. Is not Shakespeare the same play-to-play structurally? Are not Pixar or Star Wars movies definitively archetypal in timing, execution, structure, and character so that they can be completely replaced and reapplied to a new story? Even the films – heck, even the trailers - are cut the same, and if you play them all at once, magic happens (see: youtube, "all star wars movies at once").
I suppose where the real magic of these books happens is in their origin. Baum wrote something completely original that took the world by storm and continues to be a whimsical American bellwether for children's fantasy. It is one of the original series specifically for children, spanning fourteen books written almost yearly and gobbled up by a hungry public. It still remains at the forefront of American culture in many revisits in Hollywood (let no one forget the horrific beauty that is Return To Oz) and capitalizing on nostalgia (as recently as six months ago I received a mailing from The Bradford Exchange that was selling original library-bound volumes signed by – get this – Baum's great-grandson... I love an autographed book if only for the idea of the magic it transmits even though it is somewhat meaningless, but maybe someone can convince me where the magic is in having it signed by a probably elderly great-grandchild who likely never met his great-grandfather?).
So, while some of the books were awesome and some of them were difficult to slog through, I have my favorites. I will also say that the introductions that each volume opens with were sweet letters from the author to his fans, and it was easy to tell that he truly, truly loved his job writing for children. He knew his audience, he knew what worked, and he sold books. Furthermore, I imagined with great sentimentality mailbags upon mailbags arriving at his house filled to the brim of letters from children all over the world, and the responsibility he probably felt to personally respond to each of them. For my career, that is the best anyone can hope for.
What follows is my (and my son's) short reviews of the individual books in the series.
The Original and Official Oz Books by L. Frank Baum
#1 The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) READ November 26, 2013 – December 1, 2013
My Kid – At first I thought it was crazy, but then it started getting awesome. I remember the movie, but there's a lot of parts that are different.
Me – I mean, classic, right? The book pretty much follows the film almost entirely with few exceptions. In hindsight after finishing the entire series, it is worth nothing that it is considerably one of the best books in the series, while many others are of questionable quality.
#2 The Marvelous Land of Oz (1904) READ December 1, 2013 – January 9, 2014
My Kid – It was scary... Jack Pumpkinhead and Tip escaped and it was really cool.
Me – This is one of the books Return to Oz was based from, The Gump and The Powder of Life coming into play to help Dorothy and Jack Pumpkinhead outwit Mombi. An enjoyable book, quite different than the first book but engineered beautifully with plot and characterization. Enjoyed this one. What was most engaging about this text was Ozma and Tip, and what this book says about gender and youth. I think there is a lot that can be examined about gender at birth and the fluidity of gender as a social construct, witch curse or no.
#3 Ozma of Oz (1907) READ January 9, 2014 – February 22, 2014
My Kid – The boat crashes and they have to ride in the box with the chicken... I like TikTok. They saved the Queen.
Me – This is the second book that Return to Oz was conceived from and a very engaging book. This one requires more understanding and construction of the Oz Universe including the transformation of several of our characters into ornaments and the outwitting of the Nome King in order to save our friends. This was one of my final favorites before the quality of the books fell, as far as I am concerned.
#4 Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz (1908) READ February 22, 2014 – August 12, 2014
My Kid – I kinda forgot this one. There was the vegetable people underground and nothing really happened?
Me – Yeah, this one was a bust for me. I think Baum was making some kind of satirical point lost to history... Or maybe the obvious non-referential one, but still, just seemed like the episodic nonsense that didn't have a point most of the time. Keep the beginning, I guess and then skip to the final third, and there's your story.
#5 The Road to Oz (1909) READ August 12, 2014 – February 22, 2015
My Kid – The love magnet was pretty awesome, and Dorothy meets the rainbow girl and Shaggy man... I guess I'll leave off there.
Me – Another one that I thought was a little redundant and repetitive without much of a point. They get lost, they make it back, there are some weird artifacts that help them... Meh. I did like the new characters, however, who make many more appearances in the future books. Shaggy Man and Polychrome are great.
#6 The Emerald City of Oz (1910) READ February 22, 2015 – September 14, 2015
My Kid – The Emerald City was cool and Dorothy was in charge. If I lived there I would sell it all and be rich. There was a war.
Me – This one was pretty good until the end, where everything was buttoned up (apologies, button bright) pretty quickly without there being much of a solid reason. The conflicts were all contrived and there were some more ridiculously ridiculous new characters who never showed up again in the series. A great diversion, but with little substance toward the end.
#7 The Patchwork Girl of Oz (1913) READ September 14, 2015 – December 22, 2015
My Kid – It was pretty weird how the quilt doll became a patchwork girl and she was really funny. In the end, it didn't matter that they found all the stuff, so it was kinda crazy and funny.
Me – This was relatively silly. I enjoyed it, and the Patchwork Girl is a character I can really get behind as a foil to some of the other characters and somewhat mischievous. The plot is ridiculous, but the powder of life and the glass cat are somewhat illuminating elements of this text. Scraps made this a fun one.
#8 Tik-Tok of Oz (1914) READ December 22, 2015 – April 2, 2016
My Kid – The whole story of the shaggy man's brother being missing and ugly didn’t make sense, but... there was a war and Tik Tok was rescued. There was a man who was not as evil as the other army general guys. It was weird.
Me – This one was primarily about The Shaggy Man and his adventure to resolve a variety of political and interconnected issues happening surrounding everyone's messing around with the Nome King. There is a huge tube that goes through the center of the earth that everything centers on, and Shaggy is trying to get the Nome King to release his brother the whole time. There are a lot of characterization, detail, and plot errors in this that postdate some facts from the earlier books – which is kind of weird – and the intrigue surrounding the plot is somewhat complicating for kids. What I thought was the coolest element was the character of Quox, who passes more than a coincidental resemblance to Catbus from Miyazaki's Totoro.
#9 The Scarecrow of Oz (1915) READ April 2, 2016 – September 1, 2016
My Kid – First of all, there's a lot of people getting lost. Second, if I was in Jinxland, I think I would rather be back in oz.
Me – This one was interesting as it had little to do with The Scarecrow and was mainly about Button Bright, Cap'n Bill, and Trot. This one is probably the height of the ridiculousness, with little shallow plot item after little shallow plot item heaped upon one another. At the end, The Scarecrow has to (and succeeds) in recapturing Jinxland for Gloria, its rightful ruler, and returns to the Emerald City for a celebration. Eh...
#10 Rinkitink in Oz (1916) READ September 1, 2016 – December 1, 2016
My Kid – All these books have someone wicked in them and it's so crazy. I liked the name Kaliko, and the way Dorothy comes to the rescue of everyone being clever solves the problem. What's with all the problems? I feel like there's thousands.
Me – This one was pretty good, as it seemed to deviate from the regular universe of Oz and focus on a different set of locations and characters. It had a very Tolkienian feel in terms of plot, structure, and internal political commentary. It felt very different from the others, and most elements in the text had a point and a long-term purpose. I enjoyed this one.
#11 The Lost Princess of Oz (1917) READ December 1, 2016 – January 19, 2017
My Kid – First of all, they've gotta be responsible for the diamond pan, and that's why they lost it. They weren't responsible. At the end they searched for the tools and didn't need them and it was useless.
Me – Lost Princess was fun. It surrounded the story of Ozma being kidnapped and the Wizard, Button Bright, Trot, and Betsy Bobbin to go rescue her. Everything in this one felt a little random, but it all ties back together in the end. This one was pretty diversionary but not as bad as some of the others.
#12 The Tin Woodman of Oz (1918) READ January 19, 2017 – March 13, 2017
My Kid – Woot is a weird name, and everyone was changed to animals and monkeys and none of them matched up. It was all pretty weird because they all had their new needs as animals and it didn't match with what they were. The love story was kinda weird since the girl didn't want the tin woodmen anymore and the fact that they left and it was all for nothing didn't make sense.
Me – A lot of randomness in this one as well, but there is a love story at its core as we learn of a twin brother that the Tin Woodman had all along who shares the love of a long lost young lady named Nimee Amee. A lot of diversionary stories, adventures, and one cool twist by the end, and everyone arrives back where they started. Not the best, but entertaining. This one, while random at times, was a quality read.
#13 The Magic of Oz (1919) READ March 13, 2017 – April 25, 2017
My Kid – I wish you could transform yourself. Like... What if you wanted to turn yourself into a pea shooter from Plants Vs Zombies? I don't even know how to pronounce the word. I never heard of it, this nonsense word.
Me – This one had a funny gimmick in it with a secret word that when spoken could turn anyone into anything. There is a war on, and a secret force is transforming monkeys into superhuman soldiers (and there is a complication that no one in oz can be hurt but what happens when someone is chopped into a hundred living pieces?). This one was enjoyable, but the gimmick is honestly the only thing holding it all together.
#14 Glinda of Oz (1920) READ April 25, 2017 – May 23, 2017
My Kid – This one was kinda like a world of them figuring out what is going on with the big glass house-world under-water. The opposite of everything and they couldn't figure out how to get it back to normal, so what was going on with the war the whole time? Then they fix it. Everything is all set.
Me – This posthumous volume seemed to be pieced together from notes, as there is a clear difference between the tone of prior volumes and this one. The cadence and structure of the language and story is quite different in parts, and I found it takes itself seriously by comparison. Beautiful art and architecture present this journey, and I have to say, the fact that this was in new hands really shows because there is some wonderful structure that is absent in the other volumes, as well as even reintroductions to the characters when they show up. The end was a little too tidy with another deus ex machina, but the fact that it came from something that was surprising and there all along was different.
*BONUS Oz Works by L. Frank Baum, 'the Royal Historian of Oz'
The Woggle-Bug Book (1905) READ May 23, 2017 – May 24, 2017
My Kid – Actually, I don't have a review for my kid... See below.
Me – This book started cute and had a cute premise. When I began reading it at bedtime, the kid had fallen asleep. I tend to keep reading and save our spot, and then pick it up where he fell asleep the next night. Lucky for me, the terrifyingly racist parlance in this book started after he fell asleep. I read through to the end, with no intention of going back with him tomorrow... It was... shockingly indifferent to complete disregard for everyone. From switching between "Oriental" and "Chinaman" and having a character with a dialect that wasn't just a stereotype but also a stereotype of a racist's impression wasn't nearly as bad as the way Baum used the N-word (and had the character as a monkey's monkey). It was offensive and seemed ridiculously gratuitous for even the time it was published. Not a shining moment for his work at all... But it was pretty cool to learn the Woggle Bug was from Boston, anyway. This one was pretty awful.
You may be reading this review on one of the individual pages for the original books on Goodreads or Amazon, and if so, all I did was cross-link the books along with the correct dates we read the original texts. The only book I did not cross-link with original dates was the Woggle-bug book, which if you know, is short. Instead, I counted that final book as the review for Doma's Kindle version. You may notice that some books have longer reading spans – probably for two reasons. One, I traded off reading with my wife sometimes, and two, sometimes we needed a little Baum break and read some other books. It did get a little old sometimes, and there are fourteen books totaling 3500 pages in their original library printing.
The first thing I think is worth mentioning is that when I first read these books, it was as a child would read them. I remember them being repetitive but familiar. Comforting and revealing. An antiquated adventure, but a serial adventure with recurring characters unparalleled in any other literature. As an adult with an MA in literature (and soon and MFA in fiction), I am actually somewhat unimpressed with the series. Baum wrote a whimsical set of tales, but they are torturously repetitive and would be easy to plug-and-play by replacing characters and moments with a computer to make an entirely new book. But, they are children's books, and we are completely enthralled and comforted by the familiar. Is not Shakespeare the same play-to-play structurally? Are not Pixar or Star Wars movies definitively archetypal in timing, execution, structure, and character so that they can be completely replaced and reapplied to a new story? Even the films – heck, even the trailers - are cut the same, and if you play them all at once, magic happens (see: youtube, "all star wars movies at once").
I suppose where the real magic of these books happens is in their origin. Baum wrote something completely original that took the world by storm and continues to be a whimsical American bellwether for children's fantasy. It is one of the original series specifically for children, spanning fourteen books written almost yearly and gobbled up by a hungry public. It still remains at the forefront of American culture in many revisits in Hollywood (let no one forget the horrific beauty that is Return To Oz) and capitalizing on nostalgia (as recently as six months ago I received a mailing from The Bradford Exchange that was selling original library-bound volumes signed by – get this – Baum's great-grandson... I love an autographed book if only for the idea of the magic it transmits even though it is somewhat meaningless, but maybe someone can convince me where the magic is in having it signed by a probably elderly great-grandchild who likely never met his great-grandfather?).
So, while some of the books were awesome and some of them were difficult to slog through, I have my favorites. I will also say that the introductions that each volume opens with were sweet letters from the author to his fans, and it was easy to tell that he truly, truly loved his job writing for children. He knew his audience, he knew what worked, and he sold books. Furthermore, I imagined with great sentimentality mailbags upon mailbags arriving at his house filled to the brim of letters from children all over the world, and the responsibility he probably felt to personally respond to each of them. For my career, that is the best anyone can hope for.
What follows is my (and my son's) short reviews of the individual books in the series.
The Original and Official Oz Books by L. Frank Baum
#1 The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900) READ November 26, 2013 – December 1, 2013
My Kid – At first I thought it was crazy, but then it started getting awesome. I remember the movie, but there's a lot of parts that are different.
Me – I mean, classic, right? The book pretty much follows the film almost entirely with few exceptions. In hindsight after finishing the entire series, it is worth nothing that it is considerably one of the best books in the series, while many others are of questionable quality.
#2 The Marvelous Land of Oz (1904) READ December 1, 2013 – January 9, 2014
My Kid – It was scary... Jack Pumpkinhead and Tip escaped and it was really cool.
Me – This is one of the books Return to Oz was based from, The Gump and The Powder of Life coming into play to help Dorothy and Jack Pumpkinhead outwit Mombi. An enjoyable book, quite different than the first book but engineered beautifully with plot and characterization. Enjoyed this one. What was most engaging about this text was Ozma and Tip, and what this book says about gender and youth. I think there is a lot that can be examined about gender at birth and the fluidity of gender as a social construct, witch curse or no.
#3 Ozma of Oz (1907) READ January 9, 2014 – February 22, 2014
My Kid – The boat crashes and they have to ride in the box with the chicken... I like TikTok. They saved the Queen.
Me – This is the second book that Return to Oz was conceived from and a very engaging book. This one requires more understanding and construction of the Oz Universe including the transformation of several of our characters into ornaments and the outwitting of the Nome King in order to save our friends. This was one of my final favorites before the quality of the books fell, as far as I am concerned.
#4 Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz (1908) READ February 22, 2014 – August 12, 2014
My Kid – I kinda forgot this one. There was the vegetable people underground and nothing really happened?
Me – Yeah, this one was a bust for me. I think Baum was making some kind of satirical point lost to history... Or maybe the obvious non-referential one, but still, just seemed like the episodic nonsense that didn't have a point most of the time. Keep the beginning, I guess and then skip to the final third, and there's your story.
#5 The Road to Oz (1909) READ August 12, 2014 – February 22, 2015
My Kid – The love magnet was pretty awesome, and Dorothy meets the rainbow girl and Shaggy man... I guess I'll leave off there.
Me – Another one that I thought was a little redundant and repetitive without much of a point. They get lost, they make it back, there are some weird artifacts that help them... Meh. I did like the new characters, however, who make many more appearances in the future books. Shaggy Man and Polychrome are great.
#6 The Emerald City of Oz (1910) READ February 22, 2015 – September 14, 2015
My Kid – The Emerald City was cool and Dorothy was in charge. If I lived there I would sell it all and be rich. There was a war.
Me – This one was pretty good until the end, where everything was buttoned up (apologies, button bright) pretty quickly without there being much of a solid reason. The conflicts were all contrived and there were some more ridiculously ridiculous new characters who never showed up again in the series. A great diversion, but with little substance toward the end.
#7 The Patchwork Girl of Oz (1913) READ September 14, 2015 – December 22, 2015
My Kid – It was pretty weird how the quilt doll became a patchwork girl and she was really funny. In the end, it didn't matter that they found all the stuff, so it was kinda crazy and funny.
Me – This was relatively silly. I enjoyed it, and the Patchwork Girl is a character I can really get behind as a foil to some of the other characters and somewhat mischievous. The plot is ridiculous, but the powder of life and the glass cat are somewhat illuminating elements of this text. Scraps made this a fun one.
#8 Tik-Tok of Oz (1914) READ December 22, 2015 – April 2, 2016
My Kid – The whole story of the shaggy man's brother being missing and ugly didn’t make sense, but... there was a war and Tik Tok was rescued. There was a man who was not as evil as the other army general guys. It was weird.
Me – This one was primarily about The Shaggy Man and his adventure to resolve a variety of political and interconnected issues happening surrounding everyone's messing around with the Nome King. There is a huge tube that goes through the center of the earth that everything centers on, and Shaggy is trying to get the Nome King to release his brother the whole time. There are a lot of characterization, detail, and plot errors in this that postdate some facts from the earlier books – which is kind of weird – and the intrigue surrounding the plot is somewhat complicating for kids. What I thought was the coolest element was the character of Quox, who passes more than a coincidental resemblance to Catbus from Miyazaki's Totoro.
#9 The Scarecrow of Oz (1915) READ April 2, 2016 – September 1, 2016
My Kid – First of all, there's a lot of people getting lost. Second, if I was in Jinxland, I think I would rather be back in oz.
Me – This one was interesting as it had little to do with The Scarecrow and was mainly about Button Bright, Cap'n Bill, and Trot. This one is probably the height of the ridiculousness, with little shallow plot item after little shallow plot item heaped upon one another. At the end, The Scarecrow has to (and succeeds) in recapturing Jinxland for Gloria, its rightful ruler, and returns to the Emerald City for a celebration. Eh...
#10 Rinkitink in Oz (1916) READ September 1, 2016 – December 1, 2016
My Kid – All these books have someone wicked in them and it's so crazy. I liked the name Kaliko, and the way Dorothy comes to the rescue of everyone being clever solves the problem. What's with all the problems? I feel like there's thousands.
Me – This one was pretty good, as it seemed to deviate from the regular universe of Oz and focus on a different set of locations and characters. It had a very Tolkienian feel in terms of plot, structure, and internal political commentary. It felt very different from the others, and most elements in the text had a point and a long-term purpose. I enjoyed this one.
#11 The Lost Princess of Oz (1917) READ December 1, 2016 – January 19, 2017
My Kid – First of all, they've gotta be responsible for the diamond pan, and that's why they lost it. They weren't responsible. At the end they searched for the tools and didn't need them and it was useless.
Me – Lost Princess was fun. It surrounded the story of Ozma being kidnapped and the Wizard, Button Bright, Trot, and Betsy Bobbin to go rescue her. Everything in this one felt a little random, but it all ties back together in the end. This one was pretty diversionary but not as bad as some of the others.
#12 The Tin Woodman of Oz (1918) READ January 19, 2017 – March 13, 2017
My Kid – Woot is a weird name, and everyone was changed to animals and monkeys and none of them matched up. It was all pretty weird because they all had their new needs as animals and it didn't match with what they were. The love story was kinda weird since the girl didn't want the tin woodmen anymore and the fact that they left and it was all for nothing didn't make sense.
Me – A lot of randomness in this one as well, but there is a love story at its core as we learn of a twin brother that the Tin Woodman had all along who shares the love of a long lost young lady named Nimee Amee. A lot of diversionary stories, adventures, and one cool twist by the end, and everyone arrives back where they started. Not the best, but entertaining. This one, while random at times, was a quality read.
#13 The Magic of Oz (1919) READ March 13, 2017 – April 25, 2017
My Kid – I wish you could transform yourself. Like... What if you wanted to turn yourself into a pea shooter from Plants Vs Zombies? I don't even know how to pronounce the word. I never heard of it, this nonsense word.
Me – This one had a funny gimmick in it with a secret word that when spoken could turn anyone into anything. There is a war on, and a secret force is transforming monkeys into superhuman soldiers (and there is a complication that no one in oz can be hurt but what happens when someone is chopped into a hundred living pieces?). This one was enjoyable, but the gimmick is honestly the only thing holding it all together.
#14 Glinda of Oz (1920) READ April 25, 2017 – May 23, 2017
My Kid – This one was kinda like a world of them figuring out what is going on with the big glass house-world under-water. The opposite of everything and they couldn't figure out how to get it back to normal, so what was going on with the war the whole time? Then they fix it. Everything is all set.
Me – This posthumous volume seemed to be pieced together from notes, as there is a clear difference between the tone of prior volumes and this one. The cadence and structure of the language and story is quite different in parts, and I found it takes itself seriously by comparison. Beautiful art and architecture present this journey, and I have to say, the fact that this was in new hands really shows because there is some wonderful structure that is absent in the other volumes, as well as even reintroductions to the characters when they show up. The end was a little too tidy with another deus ex machina, but the fact that it came from something that was surprising and there all along was different.
*BONUS Oz Works by L. Frank Baum, 'the Royal Historian of Oz'
The Woggle-Bug Book (1905) READ May 23, 2017 – May 24, 2017
My Kid – Actually, I don't have a review for my kid... See below.
Me – This book started cute and had a cute premise. When I began reading it at bedtime, the kid had fallen asleep. I tend to keep reading and save our spot, and then pick it up where he fell asleep the next night. Lucky for me, the terrifyingly racist parlance in this book started after he fell asleep. I read through to the end, with no intention of going back with him tomorrow... It was... shockingly indifferent to complete disregard for everyone. From switching between "Oriental" and "Chinaman" and having a character with a dialect that wasn't just a stereotype but also a stereotype of a racist's impression wasn't nearly as bad as the way Baum used the N-word (and had the character as a monkey's monkey). It was offensive and seemed ridiculously gratuitous for even the time it was published. Not a shining moment for his work at all... But it was pretty cool to learn the Woggle Bug was from Boston, anyway. This one was pretty awful.
October 28, 2023
This book was clearly written to be the final in the Oz series. It very much isn't, so I guess Baum went through a similar thing to Doyle.
Anyway, at first I was shocked and excited to discover A PLOT. It was like Baum was answering all my wishes (complaints) from the previous instalment (or two). First of all we revisit an old antagonist, the Nome King from Ozma of Oz, who wants revenge on Ozma and Dorothy. Then we learn that Uncle Henry can't afford the mortgage on the farm in Kansas due to the costly events from the first and third books. Already this is tonnes more depth and story than any of the previous Oz books. I was overjoyed.
Dorothy asks Ozma if she and Uncle Henry and Aunt Em (and Toto) can live in Oz instead, while the Nomes start gathering evil allies to help them defeat the people of Oz.
And then the plot peters out and you're back in familiar dull territory. Dorothy spends the rest of the novel travelling around Oz with her guardians and some random established Oz characters that I'm pretty sure Baum chose out of a hat. Many of the villages they visit are just an excuse for some puns or satire about the type of people Baum finds annoying. That's it. Total surface level stuff. EVENTUALLY Dorothy and co learn about their impending doom, but that gets sorted out so easily, using something that is just made up right at the end, that it is an infuriating way to write a story. A simple solution is fine if it is set up, but if you just make stuff up in the final chapter that's... cheating. It's certainly lazy.
And that's that, Ozma wants to cut the land of Oz off from the rest of the world so that Baum doesn't have to write about it any more. Oh, and the Wizard can do ACTUAL magic now which is much less interesting than him being a humbug. Also, Toto is a murderer but whatever. Glinda remains terrifyingly all-powerful.
Although the plots often contradict this, Oz is a utopia of pacificism, communism and vegetarianism and everyone is immortal. May they all live happily ever after. Until Book 7 that definitely exists anyway.
Anyway, at first I was shocked and excited to discover A PLOT. It was like Baum was answering all my wishes (complaints) from the previous instalment (or two). First of all we revisit an old antagonist, the Nome King from Ozma of Oz, who wants revenge on Ozma and Dorothy. Then we learn that Uncle Henry can't afford the mortgage on the farm in Kansas due to the costly events from the first and third books. Already this is tonnes more depth and story than any of the previous Oz books. I was overjoyed.
Dorothy asks Ozma if she and Uncle Henry and Aunt Em (and Toto) can live in Oz instead, while the Nomes start gathering evil allies to help them defeat the people of Oz.
And then the plot peters out and you're back in familiar dull territory. Dorothy spends the rest of the novel travelling around Oz with her guardians and some random established Oz characters that I'm pretty sure Baum chose out of a hat. Many of the villages they visit are just an excuse for some puns or satire about the type of people Baum finds annoying. That's it. Total surface level stuff. EVENTUALLY Dorothy and co learn about their impending doom, but that gets sorted out so easily, using something that is just made up right at the end, that it is an infuriating way to write a story. A simple solution is fine if it is set up, but if you just make stuff up in the final chapter that's... cheating. It's certainly lazy.
And that's that, Ozma wants to cut the land of Oz off from the rest of the world so that Baum doesn't have to write about it any more. Oh, and the Wizard can do ACTUAL magic now which is much less interesting than him being a humbug. Also, Toto is a murderer but whatever. Glinda remains terrifyingly all-powerful.
Although the plots often contradict this, Oz is a utopia of pacificism, communism and vegetarianism and everyone is immortal. May they all live happily ever after. Until Book 7 that definitely exists anyway.
December 5, 2022
I REALLY enjoyed this one! This may be my favorite book I’ve read in the series so far. There were so many new characters and they were so unique and enjoyable to read about. I especially loved the Cuttenclips, the Fuddles, and the citizens of Utensia. And of course, I was glad to see that we continued the adventure with some of my other favorite characters such as Billina and Jack Pumpkinhead.
I loved how Aunt Em and Uncle Henry finally got to go to Oz and see the Land and creatures that Dorothy loves so much. Even though Aunt Em was rather negative, it was still nice to see them join in on the adventure.
Baum does such a great job at creating a unforgettable world through intriguing stories and interesting characters. I can’t wait to continue the story in the next book.
I loved how Aunt Em and Uncle Henry finally got to go to Oz and see the Land and creatures that Dorothy loves so much. Even though Aunt Em was rather negative, it was still nice to see them join in on the adventure.
Baum does such a great job at creating a unforgettable world through intriguing stories and interesting characters. I can’t wait to continue the story in the next book.
April 10, 2021
3,5-
In questo libro seguiamo in contemporaneamente due storylines: una è quella di Dorothy, l'altra è quella del . il problema è che a tratti entrambe risultano noiose, soprattutto la seconda.
Inoltre, quando le due storie si incontrano, , la conclusione della seconda risulta estremamente deludente.
Ciononostante, i personaggi compensano abbastanza le carenze della trama.
In questo libro seguiamo in contemporaneamente due storylines: una è quella di Dorothy, l'altra è quella del . il problema è che a tratti entrambe risultano noiose, soprattutto la seconda.
Inoltre, quando le due storie si incontrano, , la conclusione della seconda risulta estremamente deludente.
Ciononostante, i personaggi compensano abbastanza le carenze della trama.
December 2, 2021
THAT was a definitive end for the Oz series. I guess Frank wanted to end it there but somehow had to go on with the other books.
I liked this. It was way better than the last two books. It also had the punch of the first book. I think Frank wanted to end the OZ series with the same air as the starting. However, it didn't end there. So I'll move on to the next book, somewhere down the line.
Book #67 of 2021..
Book #06 of Oz series
I liked this. It was way better than the last two books. It also had the punch of the first book. I think Frank wanted to end the OZ series with the same air as the starting. However, it didn't end there. So I'll move on to the next book, somewhere down the line.
Book #67 of 2021..
Book #06 of Oz series
May 2, 2018
3.5 star
Working my way through the Oz stories with my reading buddy.
The Emerald City of Oz started out very funny and entertaining with its great wordplay.
Then the story took a little turn to the darker side.....lol
Overall, a cute tale.
Working my way through the Oz stories with my reading buddy.
The Emerald City of Oz started out very funny and entertaining with its great wordplay.
Then the story took a little turn to the darker side.....lol
Overall, a cute tale.
February 8, 2012
Even though this book is mainly just Dorothy and friends wandering around Oz while the Nome King builds an army and a tunnel and no one does anything about it, I actually really like it a lot. I enjoy discovering the Flutterbudgets and Utensils and Bunburyans and Bunnyburyans and especially the Fuddles and Cuttenclips, not to mention the Whimsies. Oh, the Whimsies. They "had large, strong bodies, but heads so small that they were no bigger than door-knobs. Of course, such tiny heads could not contain any great amount of brains, and the Whimsies were so ashamed of their personal appearance and lack of commonsense that they wore big heads made of pasteboard," which they decorate with pastel wool and large bright eyes. Baum is in top form here - as are my favorite characters:
Billina, we discover, has had eleven children and named them all Dorothy (until two disobliged her by turning out roosters and she renamed them Daniel - funny, since back in Ozma of Oz she didn't see the point in changing her name from Bill when she discovered to be female) - and she has an additional 86 grandchildren and over three hundred great grandchildren, all of whom are ALSO named Dorothy and Daniel! I love Billina.
And then there's Aunt Em. Part of what makes this one so good is Aunt Em's cranky, down-to-earth, back-to-reality commentary as she adjusts to life in Oz (Uncle Henry, who adapts better even though he originally had the most doubts, is less interesting, though amusingly placid). And I wondered where Dorothy got her combination of intrepidity and placidity! Upon first encountering the Cowardly Lion, Aunt Em decides to "eye that lion out o' countenance and save [their] lives," at which point she "turned upon the Lion a determined countenance and a wild dilated eye" until he becomes so uncomfortable that he asks if she's all right. Aunt Em is fierce!
She is also the only skeptical person in the bunch. "I gave him some sawdust brains the last time I fitted his head with new ears," the Wizard explains about the intelligent Sawhorse. "'The sawdust was made from hard knots, and now the Sawhorse is able to think out any knotty problem he meets with.'
'I see,' said Uncle Henry.
'I don't," remarked Aunt Em; but no one paid any attention to this statement."
Aunt Em might be my favorite character in this whole series.
Then there's the weird part where Ozma notices the Nome King building a tunnel to the Emerald City and proceeds to do absolutely nothing and for a long time tell nobody about it. What? Finally our friends discover this pretty alarming situation and confront her, whereupon she laughs "with genuine amusement" and says, "Why, that has not troubled me a bit!" The prospect of the country she rules being conquered by a villainous army has not troubled her? What is the matter with her?!? "Perhaps it is more seirous than I imagined.... but I haven't given the matter much thought. After dinner we will all meet together and talk it over." Are you kidding me?
I mean, I get that she's a pacifist (more on that in a moment), but you'd think she'd at least have thought about the situation!
The pacifism is great, though. Ozma is completely adamant that no one has the right to hurt other living creatures in any way (which is a weird juxtaposition to Dorothy's cavalier attitude about eating the Bunburyans). Oz also happens to be explicitly communist (although Baum does append his description of their politics with the caveat that it might not work in the real world): "There were no poor people in the Land of Oz, because there was no such thing as money, and all property of every sort belonged to the Ruler.... Each person was given freely by his neighbors whatever he required for his use, which is as much as any one may reasonably desire.... Each man or woman, no matter what he or she produced for the good of the community, was supplied by the neighbors with food and clothing and a house and furniture and ornaments and games. If by chance the supply ever ran short, more was taken from the great storehouses of the Ruler, which were afterward filled up again when there was more of any article than the people needed." I feel nice knowing that I'm in the company of good old leftists.
One last fault of this book, though, and it's a frustrating one, is their difficulty figuring out how to turn away the invaders. YOU HAVE THE FREAKING MAGIC BELT. USE IT TO SEND THEM ALL HOME. In fact, the Nome King plots about how once he gets the magic belt he'll use it to send his allies home if they turn against him, and in fact Ozma uses it at the end to send them all home after they have been incapacitated! Why not use it from the beginning? But no, we have to suspend our disbelief about a very convenient coincidence that allows for a more complex plan to be put in action. It heightens the suspense a little, I guess, but it is pretty irritating.
And it's pretty much the only thing that keeps this book from a full five-star rating. I wish I could give it a four and a half, because it's better than the other Oz books I've given fours. Oh, well!
Billina, we discover, has had eleven children and named them all Dorothy (until two disobliged her by turning out roosters and she renamed them Daniel - funny, since back in Ozma of Oz she didn't see the point in changing her name from Bill when she discovered to be female) - and she has an additional 86 grandchildren and over three hundred great grandchildren, all of whom are ALSO named Dorothy and Daniel! I love Billina.
And then there's Aunt Em. Part of what makes this one so good is Aunt Em's cranky, down-to-earth, back-to-reality commentary as she adjusts to life in Oz (Uncle Henry, who adapts better even though he originally had the most doubts, is less interesting, though amusingly placid). And I wondered where Dorothy got her combination of intrepidity and placidity! Upon first encountering the Cowardly Lion, Aunt Em decides to "eye that lion out o' countenance and save [their] lives," at which point she "turned upon the Lion a determined countenance and a wild dilated eye" until he becomes so uncomfortable that he asks if she's all right. Aunt Em is fierce!
She is also the only skeptical person in the bunch. "I gave him some sawdust brains the last time I fitted his head with new ears," the Wizard explains about the intelligent Sawhorse. "'The sawdust was made from hard knots, and now the Sawhorse is able to think out any knotty problem he meets with.'
'I see,' said Uncle Henry.
'I don't," remarked Aunt Em; but no one paid any attention to this statement."
Aunt Em might be my favorite character in this whole series.
Then there's the weird part where Ozma notices the Nome King building a tunnel to the Emerald City and proceeds to do absolutely nothing and for a long time tell nobody about it. What? Finally our friends discover this pretty alarming situation and confront her, whereupon she laughs "with genuine amusement" and says, "Why, that has not troubled me a bit!" The prospect of the country she rules being conquered by a villainous army has not troubled her? What is the matter with her?!? "Perhaps it is more seirous than I imagined.... but I haven't given the matter much thought. After dinner we will all meet together and talk it over." Are you kidding me?
I mean, I get that she's a pacifist (more on that in a moment), but you'd think she'd at least have thought about the situation!
The pacifism is great, though. Ozma is completely adamant that no one has the right to hurt other living creatures in any way (which is a weird juxtaposition to Dorothy's cavalier attitude about eating the Bunburyans). Oz also happens to be explicitly communist (although Baum does append his description of their politics with the caveat that it might not work in the real world): "There were no poor people in the Land of Oz, because there was no such thing as money, and all property of every sort belonged to the Ruler.... Each person was given freely by his neighbors whatever he required for his use, which is as much as any one may reasonably desire.... Each man or woman, no matter what he or she produced for the good of the community, was supplied by the neighbors with food and clothing and a house and furniture and ornaments and games. If by chance the supply ever ran short, more was taken from the great storehouses of the Ruler, which were afterward filled up again when there was more of any article than the people needed." I feel nice knowing that I'm in the company of good old leftists.
One last fault of this book, though, and it's a frustrating one, is their difficulty figuring out how to turn away the invaders. YOU HAVE THE FREAKING MAGIC BELT. USE IT TO SEND THEM ALL HOME. In fact, the Nome King plots about how once he gets the magic belt he'll use it to send his allies home if they turn against him, and in fact Ozma uses it at the end to send them all home after they have been incapacitated! Why not use it from the beginning? But no, we have to suspend our disbelief about a very convenient coincidence that allows for a more complex plan to be put in action. It heightens the suspense a little, I guess, but it is pretty irritating.
And it's pretty much the only thing that keeps this book from a full five-star rating. I wish I could give it a four and a half, because it's better than the other Oz books I've given fours. Oh, well!
October 26, 2018
Sin lugar a duda, creo que este ha sido el mejor libro de la saga. Lo acabo de terminar y quiero comenzarlo de nuevo a leer.
August 22, 2024
Sooooo many puns. Very curious about the books that came after since it seemed like Baum REALLY wanted this to be the last one!
August 14, 2025
I loved this book, way better then the last three. It had a great plot to the whole thing. I liked the fact that half of the book was about the bad side of this world, gave it a bit more diversity to it. The book reminded me a lot of Alice in Wonderland with all the creatures that are brought in. The book ended perfectly, so I'm a little confused as to why he kept making books after this? I would highly recommend this one.
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