The Wizard of Oz: The Collectible Leather Edition

Written by L. Frank Baum

Narrated by Bob Hartman

In this audio edition of The Wizard of Oz, readers of all ages will follow the Yellow Brick Road. It’s an unforgettable journey that takes us from Dorothy’s gray Kansas home into the blue Munchkin land; the sparkling bejeweled Emerald City; the dark, foreboding forest; and the ruby-red throne room of Glinda the Good Witch. This Classic Edition of The Wizard of Oz is a must-have for every family's audiobook library and features a child-friendly retelling that remains faithful to L. Frank Baum's original text.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Applesauce Press
• Release date: May 23, 2023
• ISBN: 9781646434626

L. Frank Baum

Lyman Frank Baum was born in 1856 in Chittenango in the state of New York. Educated mostly at home due to ill health, he was encouraged by his wealthy father to pursue his early interests in journalism and playwriting. He started his first magazine aged fifteen, had his own theatre at twenty-four and worked for many newspapers and periodicals before turning to children's fiction with stories he had made up for his own four sons. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, published in 1900, was his third bestselling book in as many years, and launched the series of Oz titles. Baum had moved with his family to Hollywood following the huge success of the books and stage adaptations. His own Oz Film Manufacturing Company failed to capitalize on the stories, and the hugely popular movie The Wizard of Oz starring Judy Garland, was not made until twenty years after Baum's death in 1939.

Reviews for The Wizard of Oz

[claire5555 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The wizard of OZ, Exceptional, best book ever, i also found the book more exciting than the movie, there is no better way to pass time with your daughter than reading this book, I have always been a fan of the film, only recently I read the book for the first time. Due to starting work in a library, I have read many books over the Christmas period why so many reviews from me so soon, I find it hard to understand anybody that does not love the Wizard of OZ theme, for me personally it is the greatest story of them all. Five star forever!

[scott_nilson-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book is such a great version of the classic by L. Frank Baum.The story is condensed but is done so in a way that simply makes it more manageable for children.The shortened version is great with the added pictures as drawn by Charles Santore. This added element of fantastic drawings (interpreted by Charles from the original classic) provides reluctant readers with more incentive to read through this story.I recommend avoiding the expectation that this book will follow the movie version. There are detailed scenes drawn from the original book that were not featured in the movie which may disappoint some readers.Notable examples would be in the scene where the tin woodsman is said to have used his axe to kill 40 wolves and the scarecrow snapped the necks of 40 crows which were all sent by the wicked witch.This book would be suitable for children aged 8-12. It is heavily text-based but is broken up by wonderful illustrations.

[bereneezypie · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really loved this book. It's a classic. Although, at times, I felt the movie was probably a bit better, but still a must-read. I thought the book was much more childlike than the movie and was much more in the perspective of a child.

[aliceanna-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A lot of the movie was very true to the story, but there was quite a bit that was left out. The gist was there though.

[kate_schulte078 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book would be good to use when talking about fantasy. I think students will like this because of the adventure the main character goes on.

[librisalexandria · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The most beautiful of this novel so far. Illustrations to die for.

[sweetbeebecky · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I began reading this version of The Wizard of Oz to my youngest daughter, who is six years old, thinking that it may frighten her a bit, but in reality, this version was beautifully done and far less frightening than the movie version of this classic. In it, the characters are almost all seen as friendly and not at all intimidating or frightening. The residents of the land that Dorothy travels to on her way to Oz are small, cheerful characters who welcome Dorothy with open arms. When Dorothy finally reaches Oz, she is very well received, treated almost like a princess, and comes face to face with the Great Oz, who quickly shows himself to be just an ordinary man. This version would be wonderful to use as a read aloud or to the young but independent reader as an introduction to this classic tale, and also encourages using one's imagination and the themes of friendship, confidence in one's strengths, pursuing one's dreams, and the triumph of good over evil.

[santhony_35 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

For Christmas, I ordered an mp3 player (Library of Classics) that was pre-loaded with 100 works of classic literature in an audio format. Each work is in the public domain and is read by amateurs, so the quality of the presentation is hit or miss. The Wizard of Oz is an iconic motion picture, from a children’s book written by L. Frank Baum. Everyone should be familiar with the movie, and while the book is obviously very similar, it contains quite a bit of extra material as well as a few major differences. For example, in the book, Dorothy does not wear ruby red slippers, but silver shoes instead.This book is an excellent beginner book for young readers, though there is perhaps more violence than some may consider appropriate for very young children. Highly recommended.

[krizia_lazaro_3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The book showed resemblance to 'Narnia' and 'Alice in Wonderland' but for younger readers. It was quick and very imaginative. A lot of lessons can be learned from the book. I wished there more action :) and the a slower pacing.