The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

By L. Frank Baum

Join Dorothy Gale, Toto, and all of her friends as they explore the incredible land of Oz. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is American's most enduring fairy tale. From the moment Dorothy puts on the silver slippers (changed to ruby slippers by MGM to take advantage of their new advance in movie making: color) until the moment she clicks her heels and returns home to Kansas you will be swept away and captivated by her extraordinary story. This lavishing illustrated edition has more than one hundred and fifty of the original W. W. Denslow illustrations.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Start Publishing LLC
• Release date: Mar 18, 2013
• ISBN: 9781625588180

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).

Book preview

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Reviews for The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

[ladypembroke · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I just finished reading this book to my son, who is almost six. He really liked it, which sort of surprised me as it was more challenging for him to stay with than all the picture books and easy readers we usually share. I am very glad that my edition had all the old pictures in it so that it still had a little picture book flavor. That made the transition to more advanced reading easier.

The one thing I will note: As with the Beatrix Potter stories I also read in my childhood, I was a little surprised at the level of violence in this book. I guess it is just a reminder of how times have changed. But if you are at all worried about creatures of various sorts meeting a rather gruesome demise, I would sit this book out. But I truly believe you would be missing out on a really wonderful story.

Keep in mind as well that there are some MAJOR differences from the MGM movie -- the ruby slippers are silver, and Glinda is not the same Good Witch as the one at the beginning of the novel. (Spoiler: This change is what makes the movie Glinda seem so awful if you really think about it. She knew the whole time about the slippers and she never said anything?? Not cool.)

[catherine_gv · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It's REEEALLLY good. The kind of books I love to read :D It's ''childish'', but not written as though we were children of 5 to understand it. :D

[pepperwings · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A rather wonderful story! There were definitely some differences from the movie, which I found interesting, and I listened to the audiobook, which was a very nice interpretation/performance. I don't feel the political aspects were very pronounced, I'll have to read more analysis of that to understand it better, I suppose.

[niquetteb · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The book is definitely different from the movie. The tale is directed towards youngsters with the use of repeating things and simplified wordings. There is a bit too much violence for a children's book, though. There is a scene where the scarecrow kills crows by snapping their necks.

[longhorndaniel · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Well finally read it and while it's not really a great piece of ligature it is truly a fun story that all kids should read once they are at an age where they can handle heads being chopped off.

[dasam-5 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a classic I never got around to reading as a child. I skipped over children's books to comics and adult classics like "War and Peace." Now, as an adult, I find the tale enjoyable and gratifying to read, with little editorial comments sprinkled throughout. My favorite:

"'For,' they said 'there is not another city in all the world that is ruled by a stuffed man.' And, so far as they knew, they were quite right."

[dara85 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

First of all this is the ugliest book cover ever.Wizard of Oz was my all time favorite movie as a child. I once left a movie at the theater to get home in time to see the movie, even though I had seen it at least six times. This was one of the first movies I bought my children. I don't know why I never read the book as a child or why I waited so long to read the book. I really enjoyed it.

[laurab_53_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Wonderful tale.

[beezle176 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

wonderful, wonderful, wonderful...!!!

[echaika_2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A must read if you're into the Wicked series by Gregory Maguire. And, the paperback I got from amazon.com has all the original illustrations, which are wonderful

[sturlington_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the first chapter book I managed to read all the way through to my son. I don't think I had ever sat down and read it myself before. This is a good book for reading aloud to very young children, because the characters are very simple, and their goals are crystal clear and reinforced through constant repetition. Scarecrow wants a brain, Tin Woodman wants a heart, Cowardly Lion wants courage, Dorothy wants to go home to Kansas. It was no problem for my 4-year-old to follow the story or to be excited by the simple adventures the characters have. I was surprised that there were quite a few sly jokes thrown in as well, which go right over the head of a young reader but are amusing for adults. My son hasn't seen the movie, so he had no preconceptions, which helps since the book differs in many ways from the film. We also both enjoyed the whimsical illustrations in the Puffin Classics edition. I hope to find other children's books we can enjoy together, and I intend to mine the classics for them.

[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.

[mirrani_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The charming writing style of Baum reminds me of listening to stories made up at bedtime or around the camp fire. The descriptions of places and the actions of the characters are just enough to keep the plot flowing, but are not so heavy that they drag down the motion either. Baum has a way of describing something so that your mind knows exactly what the thing looks like without having to give a lot of time that would take away from the action.Each character shares the same adventure, but along the way has smaller personal adventures that prove that what they seek is really what they have all along. The reader knows this, but the characters never really do, which is also an interesting idea. This classic stays in the hearts and minds of young children all the way through their adulthood and is always worth reading over and over as we grow up, just to prove that in our hearts we can still be young again.

[sedelia_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I can't believe that after all this time of watching the movies and reading the books derived from the original story, I've never read the original! The Wizard of Oz is a cute, fun kid's adventure story that I could see young children absolutely loving. It is a bit simplistic in terms of writing and storytelling, but the message is timeless, and that counts for something. Careful parents -- this is the kind of story children ask to read over and over and over again.And I would just like to say that I really like the message of this novel. I think it's gotten lost within the numerous retellings over the years, but I thought it was really heartwarming and a good thing for kids to hear. I do wish the witch were a bit more evil and scary, though. She seemed more of a side character than anything, which was strange, again, after seeing/reading all the adaptations.As for the narration, it was good -- good pacing, intonation, etc. Fields makes sure to give everyone distinctive voices and does a good job at that. However, it contains nothing spectacular that would make me recommend it over the print version. I think reading either version is fine, it would just depend on your preference. I do, however, recommend reading it. It is slightly dated and I think adults would like it for its cultural history, not necessarily because of its inherent entertainment value (Although I'm still reeling over the whole silver slippers instead of ruby slippers thing. So weird!). But I'm sure that kids will love it!

[pmaranci_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It's odd that this is the first time I've read an Oz book. I think I started one or two, long ago, and never finished them. But many people rave about Oz, and I love old books from that era (especially children's books), so recently I picked it up and read it through.

It didn't take long. In fact, I was quite surprised at how quickly I got through it. It's quite a short book. It's also very simply written. I don't think most young American children (say, ages 7 and up) would have any difficulty reading it at all. The grammar is slightly more formal than modern American English, but the vocabulary is startlingly ordinary; far less challenging than I'd expected.

Perhaps that's because most of the books I've read from that general era (The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was first published in 1900) are English, and use a considerably deeper vocabulary. The majority of Americans would struggle with an unabridged Peter Pan or Winnie-the-Pooh, and be utterly defeated by Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

That said, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was a nice, light, and very quick read with some pleasantly funny moments. I'd heard that it was an extended political parable - the scarecrow representing Midwestern farmers, the Tin Woodsman representing the factory workers of the new Industrial Revolution, and the Lion representing...actually, I don't remember - but if that's the case (and it may well be) the result certainly doesn't seem to very complex. I probably won't read The Wonderful Wizard of Oz for myself again very soon, but I'll probably soon read it to my son - or see if he's interested in reading it for himself.

I can't help but wonder if I'd have loved the book if I had first read it when I was seven. But I just don't know.

Oh, I almost forgot: Of course I've seen the movie many times, and am quite fond of it. I expected the book to be very different from the movie, and it was - but it turned out that the movie was more faithful to the text than I'd realized. That said, I have to say that the movie actually seemed to make a strong theme (there's no place like home, of course) which the book lacked. But then, Dorothy seemed much younger in the book.

It was also interesting that in the book, the voyage to Oz was clearly NOT a dream (Uncle Henry had had to build a new house to replace the one that had been taken away by the tornado), whereas the movie made it fairly clear that Oz HAD all been Dorothy's fever-dream (since, among other things, the house was unchanged and still there).

[ninacaramelita · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

By now everybody knows - or should know, the tale about Dorothy and Toto. No matter what you believe, which theory is behind this (hi)story, there's just as many reasons to read or reread a series as Oz. Mine was nothing more than this beautiful clothbound classic! Isn't it pretty?!?!

[sasham-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Book way better than movie. As an adult reader I did find it a bit twee and predictable but it is a children's story and should be enjoyed as such

[librisalexandria · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

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

[grgenius_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

You know the story, a little girl wishing that she could make it over the rainbow to escape the gray tinged life she leads at present only to be confronted with the fact that life may appear greener on the other side but "there's no place like home" after all is said and done. The best thing I can say for those that have only seen the movie is you can keep the images of the primary characters if you wish...but that's about it. The land of the Munchkins is far less munchkin-ny and Glinda sparkles WAY less than her supposed taffeta gown though she is still in fact a powerful and very good witch. The infamous shoes are NOT red, the flying monkeys don't actually work for the Wicked Witch on a full time basis, in fact...the Wicked Witch herself plays a very small role in comparison to her betrayal in the movie though Dorothy's journey is still fraught with dangers at every turn. Even the characters themselves are presented in different shades of their personalities.Quite the contrast but DEFINITELY worth the journey down the road of yellow bricks to discover all there is to see. What makes this edition stand out from the rest? The illustrations and the hardbound packaging. It's not your typical lush images that we've come to expect from this story. They are a bit more bleak, a bit more drab and yet they work well with all they depict. From Dorothy's sunny face which is given an extra hint of color in an otherwise fairly monotone landscape to Toto's adorable little self with spunky attitude to spare, from the uncovering of the grand humbug to the reality of the poppy field not the fantasy and all the way to the melting of the witch herself, it's a happy marriage between story and image.In conclusion, a worthy read indeed for the seasoned Oz visitor as well as those just journeying past the colors that arc across the sky. It makes sharing the story with a new generation a grand adventure once again not only in text but also in visual aids.**review copy was received in exchange for my honest review - full post can be viewed on my site**

[systersara · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Easily read nice book. Even if you've seen the movie there are still surprises, which is nice./SysterSara

[seriousgrace · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is one of those reviews I feel ridiculous writing because who doesn't know the story of The Wizard of Oz? Dorothy is a child living in a one-room house in Kansas with her aunt, uncle and dog. A tornado rips through the plains but before Dorothy and her little dog can make it to the hole in the floor the tiny house is swooped up in the tornado's vortex and they are whisked off to a fantasy land. Upon landing they inadvertently kill a wicked witch (of the East). The townspeople munchkins are overjoyed but all Dorothy wants to do is go home. So, the munchkins give her the witch's shoes and send her along a yellow brick road. At the end of the road is a wizard who supposedly can help her get back to Kansas. Along her journey she meets some oddball characters (a tin woodsman, a cowardly lion, and a brainless scarecrow). Unbeknownst to them, they are being watched on their journey. The deceased witch's sister (Wicked Witch of the West) wants the shoes given to Dorothy. To read The Wizard of Oz as an adult is 100% entertainment. I had fun taking note of how many times the brains-needing Scarecrow did something exceedingly smart or the Cowardly Lion acted inherently brave or the no-heart Tin Man felt true compassion. Other amusements: the group discussing heart disease.

[elliepotten · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Why have I never read this book before?! Okay, I'll tell you why I've never read this book before - I HATE the movie. There, I said it. Get the lashings over with now, because I doubt I'll be changing my mind any time soon. The music! The stupid man in a lion costume! The wrong-coloured shoes! No no no. So, as you might imagine, it was a very pleasant surprise when I found myself, twenty pages into the book, sitting with a gentle smile on my face thinking, "Yeah, just one more chapter before I go do something useful." This is actually a really lovely little book! It is charming and whimsical and full of polite conversation and intriguing creatures, just as a children's classic should be. As Dorothy and her friends wend their merry way towards self-knowledge and magical wish fulfillment, they meet with all kinds of nice people, bizarre monsters and tricky situations, but you know that everything's going to be okay in the end because Baum said so. That said, it's not all sunshine and roses in the Land of Oz, oh no... What Baum omits by way of serious peril for his leading characters, he makes up for with the macabre ends he concocts for the naughty beasts that threaten them. Yes, the Wicked Witch of the West is destroyed with a humble bucket of water (if that's a spoiler... well, if you don't know it now you never will) - but everything else is thrown off a cliff, has its neck broken, is beheaded or chopped in half by the Tin Man's axe. All the kinds of deaths that make me shudder and put down my lunch for a moment. But then everybody skips on and is very jolly to have survived another menace, so that's okay.Needless to say, the book was a wonderful little read, despite the fact that I had "We're off to see the wizard" stuck in my head THE WHOLE TIME. Baum's imaginary world was a delight to explore, twisting old fairytale cliches into something new and unique (like the mischievous Winged Monkeys and their three wishes taking the place of the traditional genie, for example), and Dorothy's well-mannered sweetness was like a soothing balm for my summer-holiday-brat-frazzled nerves. My edition is a smart little 'Great Reads' hardback, with cute cartoony line drawings that don't look AT ALL like the movie characters (much to their credit), which I found really rounded off the reading experience. Roll on book 2 - I think I'm hooked!

[bryndahlquis · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is one of those extraordinarly intelligent children's books, which I suppose is why it turned into a classic. That and the fact that it's brilliant and enjoyable as well, of course.

[klefort_2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, written by Baum was reinterpreted through film by MGM studios, as many of you know. The film and the book contrast on certain aspects, such as Dorthy's silver shoes. In the film the shoes are ruby (MGM's colorful alteration). Nevertheless, the idea, the characters, and the adventures are basically the same in both text and movie. Dorthy gets dropped in the Land of Oz after a cyclone picks up her house in Kansas. Throughout the story, she meets the Tin Woodman, The Scarecrow, and the Lion who all accompany her on her adventure to get back to Kansas. Dorthy (unknowingly) posses the power to take her home in her silver shoes the entire time. Unlike Carroll's Wonderland, where we find out that Alice had been dreaming the entire time, in the Wizard of Oz, Baum insists that The Land of Oz is in fact a real place. At the end of the story, Dorthy returns to Kansas by clicking her heels and she sees the new shed that Uncle Henry has built while she was away (the cyclone had destroyed the old shed). Things of this nature happened in real time with Dorthy's disappearance, suggesting that Oz was in fact a real place and Dorthy was not dreaming. However, in the famous MGM film, Dorthy was dreaming after she fainted.

[gpangel_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

No matter what age you are, The Wizard of Oz never gets old. If you have watched the movie, ( and who hasn't), you will no doubt experience great surprise at how very different the book is. All the same, despite all the commentary, I really believe this is just a great fantasy for children, with no real great hidden messages. It's just a great deal of fun. The book ( and the other books in the series) and the movie should be re-visited from time to time. I think it's good for us, not matter what age you are.

[john257hopper · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This Kindle edition of the classic children's book where Dorothy is carried by a tornado to the land of Oz is a pleasant read, very reminiscent of Lewis Carroll's Alice books. It is lavishly illustrated throughout, though the name of the illustrator on the cover differs from that on the title page (this may explain why Dorothy looks a bit different in some pictures - never like Judy Garland, though!). A nice, lighter read. 4/5

[amberthehuman · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is a case of the movie being better than the book. Or, at least, the movie being better than this one book. I think once I read more, I'll get a better sense of the whole project, but with this one book, the story pacing is better in the movie. Not to give things away, but the ending of the movie comes about 3/4 way into the book, and then it's just less exciting. But I'm glad I finally read it!

[ajaygx · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Classic children fiction...

[benjamin.duffy · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Gay culture touchstone? Turn-of-the-20th-century political allegory? Nah. Much more of a straightforward fairy tale than I would have thought based on having seen the Judy Garland movie adaptation. Once you strip away the 1930s MGM musical-ness (pretty hard to do, considering what a part of the cultural consciousness that film is), and substitute in Baum's simple yet lyrical language, it feels very much like an American answer to classic European folk tales. At its heart, this felt like a story about believing in yourself, being kind, and being a good friend. If I had owned this book when any of my kids were four or five, it would have been wonderful to read to them.

Of course, as a former history major, I looked for the populist, free silver, political satire that was supposed to be here, and I've gotta say I think that must be some bullshit interpretation tacked on by later critics. This suspicion of mine is borne out by the fact that Frank Baum wrote approximately 327 sequels to this book, and to read them all would take more time than the actual Free Silver controversy lasted. I think Baum just set out to write a great children's story that wouldn't bore their parents to death, and he succeeded.

[ferrisscottr · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

It's been a long time since I've been this disappointed in a book. We all know the great characters and the great world building the Baum does but in this story the writing is dreadful. I've read quite a bit of Baum's other books and have been pretty happy with them but in this book it seemed like it was written by a 3rd grader...not written for a 3rd grader but by a 3rd grader. I have read thousands of books and this is in my top five for the worst writing that I've ever experienced.

I did give it two stars because I did finish it and the characters and world building are so entertaining.