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Summary
Summary
The Wizard of Oz
Author Notes
Best known as the author of the Wizard of Oz series, Lyman Frank Baum was born on May 15, 1856, in New York. When Baum was a young man, his father, who had made a fortune in oil, gave him several theaters in New York and Pennsylvania to manage. Eventually, Baum had his first taste of success as a writer when he staged The Maid of Arran, a melodrama he had written and scored.
Married in 1882 to Maud Gage, whose mother was an influential suffragette, the two had four sons. Baum often entertained his children with nursery rhymes and in 1897 published a compilation titled Mother Goose in Prose, which was illustrated by Maxfield Parrish. The project was followed by three other picture books of rhymes, illustrated by William Wallace Denslow.
The success of the nursery rhymes persuaded Baum to craft a novel out of one of the stories, which he titled The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Some critics have suggested that Baum modeled the character of the Wizard on himself. Other books for children followed the original Oz book, and Baum continued to produce the popular Oz books until his death in 1919. The series was so popular that after Baum's death and by special arrangement, Oz books continued to be written for the series by other authors. Glinda of Oz, the last Oz book that Baum wrote, was published in 1920.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (3)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 2-8-L. Frank Baum's classic adventure fantasy receives a fine, straightforward treatment on this well-produced book-on-CD. Narrator Adams Morgan tells of Dorothy's adventures in an understated matter, and his less-is-more approach actually enhances the fantastical events occurring in the novel. Morgan does not overplay the characters, flexing his voice just a tad when speaking as the cowardly Lion, the brain-seeking Scarecrow, and the rusty Tin Man. Yet he keeps the action moving at a brisk pace, and makes the story easy to follow and compelling. Listeners only familiar with the legendary 1939 movie will have fun discovering the material not included in the film. The basic story is the same: a cyclone whisks Dorothy to Oz; her house lands on and kills a Wicked Witch; she hopes the great and wonderful Wizard of Oz will transport her back to Kansas; and she is joined on her journey to Oz by the Scarecrow, Tin Man, and Cowardly Lion. In this complete version, the travelers encounter characters who are helpful (the Queen of the Field Mice, Morgan' giddiest characterization), strangely frightening (the bizarre Hammer-Heads), or surrealistic (the girl made of fine china). The Wicked Witch of the West not only sends flying monkeys to attack the heroes, but also wolves, crows, bees, and cowardly slaves called "Winkies." Some listeners may be surprised by the more violent sections of the story (the Tin Man uses his axe to decapitate foes, the Lion twists off the head of an enormous spider). This presentation may not rival Flo Gibson's classic reading of the story (Recorded Books, 1980), but does bring Baum's enthralling world to life.-Brian E. Wilson, Evanston Public Library, IL (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
Santore's illustrations for this new edition of Baum's classic tale work on two levels. They capture the story's epic sweep in numerous colorful landscapes and dramatic tableaux, and they are models of sustained characterization. Though the paintings occasionally lapse into Saturday morning TV cartoon art, they generally evoke the many beloved scenes with verve. In contrast to a rather mundane scarecrow, Santore's cowardly lion is a splendid beast--looming over his companions, lower jaw ever a-quiver. The episodes in the Emerald City are appropriately green-tinted (the book's pages, in fact, are green in these sequences) and cleverly framed by faceted, emeraldlike borders. Unfortunately, the text is abridged, and significant sequences and characters are missing. These cuts have robbed Santore of the chance to realize fully his vision of Oz, and readers of the opportunity to enjoy the story as Baum told it. Morrow's facsimile of the first edition illustrated by W. W. Denslow and Holt's edition illustrated by Michael Hague are better versions of this enduring favorite. All ages. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
The complete text of Baum's classic has been newly illustrated in watercolor with Zwerger's clean and romantic style. Sixteen full-page paintings and plenty of spot art reveal a close reading of the text and a surprisingly fresh approach to the characterizations. Green-colored glasses are included, to be worn when viewing all scenes within the Emerald City, though they're not essential since the story can be seen through the reader's imagination. From HORN BOOK 1991, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.