The Wizard of Oz: Oz, Book 1

Written by L. Frank Baum

Narrated by B. J. Harrison

Join Dorothy, Toto, The Scarecrow, The Tin Woodsman, and The Cowardly Lion in their journey down the yellow brick road to the Emerald City. This new recording showcases the voice talent and versatility of veteran voice actor B. J. Harrison, of The Classic Tales Podcast. Whether it’s witches, munchkins, mice or monkeys - Harrison’s characterizations will astound and entertain in this production sure to tickle the fancies of children of all ages.

• Language: English
• Publisher: B.J. Harrison
• Release date: Feb 1, 2012
• ISBN: 9781937091729

L. Frank Baum

Lyman Frank Baum (1856–1919) was an American children’s book author, best known for The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. He wrote thirteen novel sequels, nine other fantasy novels, and several other works (55 novels in total, plus four "lost" novels, 83 short stories, over 200 poems, an unknown number of scripts, and many miscellaneous writings).

Reviews for The Wizard of Oz

[smcamp1234 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Such a fun read especially when reading to kids. Baum introduces many new characters in this third book and Tik-Tok has to be the break out star here, but Bellina comes very close behind.

[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!

[melopher_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Maybe it was because I never read the book when I was young, or maybe I simply don't have an innate appreciation for fantasy literature, but this book--like the movie--is just weird to me. My girls (whom I read the book aloud to) thought that it was pretty good; they have yet to see the movie. All that said, I'm glad to have read it--simply because it makes me feel more culturally literate. : )

[plasticatoms · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Classic work in which a young girl explores a strange land, seeking a way to get home. The original book has been largely superseded by the 1939 film in the public consciousness (to the point that this reprinting, like most, drops the full title, "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz"), but is well worth reading in the original. Dorothy is much tougher and braver in the original than the squealy Judy Garland portrayal, and the work is a good beginning to the lesser-known later Oz books, which are less world-building and more undirected explosions of imagination. Unfortunately the pacing suffers a little from the long, anticlimactic journey to Glinda's in the last half of the book, a reminder that sometimes the books were less about the plot and more about just being odd travelogues... but that's the fun part of any journey, after all! (Interestingly, despite being described in the author's introduction as "a modernized fairy tale, in which the wonderment and joy are retained and the heartaches and nightmares are left out", the book contains a surprising amount of beheadings. Cultural shift?)

[mparis_31 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Having gotten caught up in a cyclone, Dorothy's house whirls her away to the Land of Oz. Here she makes friends with a Scarecrow, a Tin Woodman, and a Cowardly Lion who are all missing something in their life. The group of newly met friends have many adventures as they travel to the Emerald City to see the wizard who they hope will grant all their wishes.It is fun to read this book as an adult after having seen the movie numerous times. The story is generally the same, but is a bit more violent. Although the story line is very interesting, I found the language rather unexciting. Concept/classroom connection: Read the book and compare/contrast it to the well-loved film.

[carebear36 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

As with the first two books in this series, this one was just as fun with interesting characters and creative plot points. I loved the character of Bill/Billina (although Dorothy furthered my dislike of her by suggesting the hen should change her name). I did not like how much of a role Dorothy had, given how idiotic of a character she comes across as (seriously, you have to get advice from a chicken??), but I respect Baum writing more about her to appease his young fans. Overall a good read and very fun adventure.

[bohemima · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Poor Frank Baum---so often the casual reader comes upon his book after viewing the best movie adaptation ever. The book is a bit different from the film, most notably in the ending, which is far superior to the movie's slick closing.There is little backstory here; instead we are transported almost immediately to the land of Oz. "Wizard" is not nearly as dated as some books from the same era; the fantasy holds up well, we meet some funny characteres and Baum presents a painless moral lesson quickly seen by adults but not quite so quickly by children. A good read-aloud for second or third graders; a good read-alone for fourth or fifth gradeers.

[stewartry · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Remarkably, I never read the Oz books as a kid. Weird, I know, but somehow I never went there. (And truly, this is a weird thing. I read *everything*. Maybe The Wiz was too firmly engrained in my psyche as a movie to register that it was a book first? Or was it a shying away from some aspects of it which seemed too childish for me even as a child? Or was it simply that I never had a copy in the house and the library had much shinier and cooler books to draw my attention? No idea.) This was a freebie on Audible, bless their hearts, and it seemed like time.Oh well.Whether aspects of the story might have been too childish for me once upon a time, aspects of the storytelling certainly were listening to this. The silly voices Anne Hathaway provided became a little much at times; there is only so much time I am willing to spend listening to certain types of cartoony voices. And I confess, being used to the relative conciseness of the MGM version, I became impatient with the rather wandering way in which the actual story was spun out. I wonder if I would have liked this as a child. I wouldn't have been trying so hard to apply logic to it then, though I would still have been comparing it to the movie…

[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.

[katieloucks · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved reading this as a kid! Even now I like to read it.

[vonze-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Not as good as the first, but a big improvement over the second book. Glad to have Dorothy back in the storyline.

[mihalevich · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Author L Frank BaumTitle The Wizard of OzIllustrator Charles SantureDate SterlingPages 96Short Summary: This book is about Dorothy who has a dog named Todo. She lives in a little house with her grandma I believe. She has a dream because there was a bad tornado that blew her house up in the air and Dorothy hit her head and became unconscious and was asleep for awhile and had this dream, and the whole book is her dream basically. Her dream is she goes to this place that has a yellow brock road and a fairy godmother and umpaloompas. She doesn't know where she is all she knows is she isn't in Kansas anymore she wanted to know how to get home and the godmother tells her to just follow the yellow brick road and along the way she meets tin man, lion, and scarecrow which they all becomes Dorothy's friends They all go on an adventure and they also come across the mean witch and then also a good witch, you will just have to read the book to see what kind of adventures these characters have!Tags or subject headings would be fantasy and imaginary, not real.My Response: I love love this book and I was even more excited when the movie came out. I read this book over and over until the movie came out then I watched the movie all the time when I got ahold of that. I also loved all the songs in this book/movie. This book was basically like my whole childhood!

[capiam1234 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Such a fun read especially when reading to kids. Baum introduces many new characters in this third book and Tik-Tok has to be the break out star here, but Bellina comes very close behind.

[jedimarri · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

"Ozma of Oz" is the response to the cry of many young readers that Baum bring Dorothy back to the world of Oz. This time she reaches that magical land not by tornado, but by ship wreck, and she first spend a good deal of time in the kingdom of Ev. The kingdom of Ev is languishing because the old King sold off his wife and children in exchange for a long life, and then threw himself into the sea in remorse. Now it's up to Dorothy, Ozma, and their host of friends to figure out how to free the missing Queen and the children.Dorothy, with her sweet personality, makes several new friends in this book that you will fall in love with! There are a lot of little lessons to be learned a long the way as well, so if you are reading this to your kids, you'll have some fun ways to sneak in some teaching moments. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series!

[lyssacle · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Although I've seen the 1939 film and more recent films, I had no idea what to expect. I remember looking at all of the L. Frank Baum books at the library, but never picked one up.

I shouldn't be surprised by the darkness in the books, but coming from contemporary children's stories, I seem to have coddled my own understanding of the frankness and abrupt nature that "evil" is dealt with at the turn of the century.

I enjoyed the book, probably more so because I have so many other versions to compare it to. I have yet to read Wicked, but I prefer this story to the other adaptations.

[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.

[saroz_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Here it is: the book that started it all. I'm so familiar with the beats of the plot that I haven't read the actual text in, probably, a good twenty years, so coming back to it was illuminating. It's a remarkably straightforward, plain-spoken piece of work; the cyclone hits on page 4 of this first edition reproduction, but it would be the second page in any modern edition with a reduced font size and page margins. The final chapter is just three paragraphs. Baum achieves a lot with very little, and if the story comes over as a more strict morality play than the later Oz books, that's okay. There's a lot of imagination and invention in evidence here, and if you think back to the almost non-existent landscape of children's literature at the turn of the 20th century, it's easy to see why this book made such a big splash. There are a few associations with European fairy tale tropes, but mostly, Baum is having a good time modernizing and turning those preconceptions on their head, and tying them to a fantasized version of the frontier America he knew (something that, for whatever reason, most adaptations seem to miss). Abandoning the landscape and hierarchy of European nations gives Oz its own fantasy-land identity, which Baum continued to refine - but never really bettered - in future volumes. And if his prose is formal and his characterization fairly basic, he makes up for it with sheer visual iconography. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a book that provides the framework for a child's imagination, and the figures it provides are unique and vivid enough that we have, unsurprisingly, absorbed them into our American mythology over the past one hundred years.

[catfantastic_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The third Oz book. Dorothy is lost at sea and washes ashore in a fairy land called Ev with a talking yellow hen named Bill (or "Billina") for a companion. They come across a wind-up mechanical man named Tiktok and are imprisoned by the vain Princess Langwidere, who owns a collection of thirty interchangeable heads. The rightful rulers of Ev, the Queen and her ten children, have been imprisoned underground by the King of the Nomes. Luckily, Princess Ozma arrives with the Tin Woodman, the Scarecrow, the Cowardly Lion, the Saw-Horse, the Hungry Tiger, and twenty-six military officers (and one private for them to order around!) on a magic green carpet. She rescues Dorothy from Langwidere, and then they set out to rescue Ev's rightful rulers from the Nomes. The talking yellow hen is a hoot, and I enjoyed her no-nonesense approach and her unexpected decision at the end. The Hungry Tiger - always craving those fat babies! - was hilarious. The cowardly officers and the single, much abused private were also pretty funny. I was sad to see the Lion has gone back to thinking of himself as a coward, whereas the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman both get to believe they have brains and a heart, respectively. Also, he seemed really sidelined in this one as opposed to how important he was in the original story. It was great to see Ozma and Dorothy together, having adventures, though!

[ericpatterson · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book does not take place majorly in the land of Oz, but in the land of Ev which is over the deadly dangerous desert. The story is about Dorothy Gale, from the first book in the series, returning to the land of Oz through the land of Ev.

The story has the same whimsical charm that the first two books have that make them children's classic books. Baum is able to create these fantastical creatures and you believe they could exist in these other worlds. In this case he created the Wheelers who roll around on wheels instead of having hands and feet. Baum takes simple ideas and breathes life into them. It is great to read his books and see what he was capable of creating. He lived in a time where they didn't seem to be as worried about violence and other things in their books so you can see a bit more depth and freedom in what he is writing which makes for a better children's story in my opinion.

[nmhale_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This lavishly illustrated picture book is an abridged version of the original book, Wizard of Oz, first in the OZ series. The story bears similarities to the popular movie of the same name, but is quite drastically different. Dorothy hitches a ride on a tornado, and flattens a witch beneath her house, but the magic shoes are silver. She lands in the land of the Munchkins and meets a good witch; not Glinda, this one is kindly and elderly and short. The Good Witch of the North kisses Dorothy on the forehead, giving her a charm that protects her against evil, although Dorothy is unaware of the kiss's power. She and Toto set off on the yellow brick road, in search of the and the powerful Wizard of Oz. En route, they meet the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodsman, and the Cowardly Lion. These three new companions learn about the wizard from Dorothy, and decide they can use a little help, too. The Scarecrow wants a brain, the Woodsman wants a heart, and the Lion wants courage. Their journey has many obstacles, however, like the deep abyss in the road or the field of poppies that causes all people and animals to fall asleep. Once they finally reach the Emerald City, they are greeted with the city guard, who locks a pair of green spectacles on everyone's head, even Toto. They are allowed into the wizard's presence, but the vast floating head

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

Really enjoyed this one a lot. Honestly, I enjoyed it more than the original (and A LOT more than some of Baum's other stories). Some really fun side characters (like Billina the hen) and some very funny plot points made it a very fun read.

[librisalexandria · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

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

[elizabethchapman · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This happens to be one of my least favorite of the Oz books. It's interesting to read the reviews here on LibraryThing and realize that Ozma of Oz is many people's favorite. It's hard to put one's finger on what is enchanting -- or not -- in any given children's book. For me, the dangers Dorothy and her friends face in this volume seem less thrilling and the new characters that are introduced seem lesser copies of earlier ideas (The Cowardly Lion / The Hungry Tiger, the Tin Woodman / Tiktok, Billina / Toto). Enjoyable enough for Oz fans, but far from Baum's best.

[nx74defiant · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Forget Dorothy, I wanted to be Ozma.

[hippielunatic · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I picked this up years ago, probably in a moment of, "I love the movie, why not read more?" Given it's Walmart special cover of two books for a dollar, that must have played into the cost vs. benefit analysis, too.I am so glad that I did, to the point of I will probably be adding the entire series to my wish list over the coming years.The characters are fun and the action lively. Tiktok and Billina are newcomers to the Oz realm, but each is a nice addition to the circles of friendship that Dorothy develops. The story itself is a magical explorations of the need to accomplish something, and how luck and determination often have to go hand in hand for success to be met.

[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.

[caseybp · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A treasure of American Literature.

[drewandlori · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Third in the Oz series, and the second book featuring Dorothy and Toto. Baum's books are a little dated but still a lot of fun.

[jljaina · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Rating is closer to 3.5 stars. I have parts about this I loved and parts that bothered me so my thoughts a left a jumbled mess. First off, if you do not know this story, go learn about it. Everyone should know the Wizard of Oz and most of us do. Although I think many of us are more familiar with the movie. The story concept is just great and one I have always loved and all that credit goes to the author.

Now, I must admit I like the movie more than the book. While the basic story is great and Dorothy being a little girl does put a more child-like quality of the book there is a lot of violence in this story. The Tin Man's story is both sad and horrifying and might be a bit much for a young child to handle. And the neck breaking, limb lopping as they make their way across Oz was harsh. While it is not very graphic in description it is still easy to visualize. So while the story is written in a style for young children, about half the content is on the mature side.

This is a short story being between 110-140 pages (depending on the pictures of various editions). The chapters are short and the pace is fast. A lot happens in that time. It is still a fantastical adventure and in some ways getting the back story of the characters added to it's enrichment.

There are quite a few differences from the movie to the book. From the house Dorothy green up in, the Ruby vs silver slippers, the Winged Monkeys, The Emerald City, etc. It was very interesting to see and discover the differences. One thing that really jumped out at me was how each character acted versus what they kept saying they wanted from the Wizard. Amusing aspect to the story, making it all the more endearing.


Overall enjoyable. I am curious to continue the series yet there is no feeling of needing to rush to the next book. It is a series to read at leisure. I advise caution for young children for this book. If a movie copied the details of the book, it would not be rated G. So just a heads up, I advise you to read it before your child does if allowing them to read this at a young age.

[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.