Though the delightful The Patchwork Girl Of Oz (1913) may be the overall favorite of dedicated Oz enthusiasts, L. Frank Baum's The Scarecrow Of Oz (1915) is very likely his greatest Oz novel, as its story is warmly and enthusiastically told, moves forward superbly, and the only padding found within its pages is the straw that stuffs the Scarecrow's body.

Baum wanted to transfer characters Trot (real name: Mayre Griffith) and her much older guardian, Captain Bill, of his non-Oz titles The Sea Fairies (1911) and Sky Island (1912), into Oz permanently, and they are the apparent stars of the book until the Scarecrow is introduced on its 173rd page. Though Trot, like Betsy Bobbin before her, is almost identical to Dorothy Gale in manner and appearance and would in later volumes largely fade into a pale replica of her, Baum here allows Trot to command the narrative and display a number of admirable, heartening qualities. Perennial lost boy Button - Bright (real name: Saladin Paracelsus de Lambertine Evagne von Smith), who is discovered buried face down in a small mountain of popped corn, is also a key player.

Caught in a monstrous whirlpool that appears out of nowhere while sailing on calm American ocean waters, Trot and Captain Bill awaken in a strangely lit underwater grotto. Though the narrow, claustrophobically confining passage they are obligated to enter and follow does not lead them directly to Oz, it does lead them to another of Baum's fairytale kingdoms. As in previous titles, readers may question whether Trot and Captain Bill have died and passed into the afterlife; certainly their early travails have a purgatory - like quality. In a hilarious episode, the twosome find themselves trapped on a small, lush island with the most cantankerous man living, who complains that the trees are too green, the water "dreadfully wet," and that the sun, which unpleasantly "shines in the daytime," is useless, because "it disappears just as soon as it begins to get dark." This "little old man of the island" is in exile, and certainly seems to occupy his own tiny circle in hell.

As in Sky Island, readers are given excellent expository information about Button - Bright; this is important, because Button - Bright, when appearing later in the Oz chronicle, was often portrayed as an annoying idiot with a tabula rasa for a mind ("Some folks think I'm stupid. I guess I am," he goes so far to say in Sky Island). However, in the Scarecrow Of Oz, Baum explains Button - Bright to his audience in almost Zen - like terms. Button - Bright is "almost as destitute of nerves as the Scarecrow...nothing ever astonished him much; nothing ever worried him or made him unhappy. Good fortune or bad fortune he accepted with a quiet smile, never complaining, whatever happened." Is Button - Bright a young wandering Buddha? Button - Bright, who has an exceptionally hardy appetite, is enthralled by both the beauties of nature and of happenstance. A junior lord of unforeseen contingency, an open meadow, a hedge of berry bushes, or a fluttering butterfly is all that is necessary to send him dashing off blissfully into spatial oblivion. In the Scarecrow Of Oz, Button - Bright, who lives purely in the moment, seems to possess the secret of happiness, if no longer his magical umbrella, and makes a perfect counterpoint to the more responsible, rational Trot.

The Scarecrow Of Oz is also one of the several Baum - composed Oz titles that concerns itself with witches. One of the book's three main antagonists, Blinkie, who, like the Wicked Witch in the first book, has but a single good eye, is a traditional European folklore witch: she is old, wrinkled, eccentric, power hungry, toadying, and spiteful. Interestingly, as in medieval drawings, Blinkie and her fellow witches ride their broomsticks with the brush portion forward. Baum even raises the possibility of witch burning, though, as bad luck may have it, it is the easily consumed Scarecrow and not Blinkie that is eventually tied to a stake and threatened with fire. Baum counters Blinkie with Gibson Girl look - alike sorceress Glinda the Good, who, the opposite of the witch in every way, is lovingly described: "No one knows her age, but all can see who beautiful and stately she is...her hair is like red gold and finer than the finest silken strands. Her eyes are blue as the sky and always frank and smiling. Her cheeks are the envy of peach-blows and her mouth is enticing as a rosebud. Glinda is tall and wears splendid gowns that trail behind her as she walks. She wears no jewels, for her beauty would shame them." Strangely enough, illustrator John R. Neill consistently portrays Baum's sorceress supreme wearing an unusual headdress conspicuously crowned with what looks like a cross between a healthy, long-stemmed, large-capped mushroom and a vigorous phallus.

Here more than in any of other Oz title, the Scarecrow shines, as he rightly should, though the novel is more than half over before he makes his appearance. Baum tended to dilute even his most popular characters over the course of the series, and in too many Baum titles the Scarecrow is depicted as little more than the Tin Woodman's "heterosexual life partner," though of course the Scarecrow bills and coos with the Patchwork Girl as well as with best friend Nick Chopper. The Scarecrow, sent by Glinda to rescue Trot and her cohorts from an evil king, is certainly the hero of the book: "As a conqueror I'm a wonder," he says before single - handedly but futilely demanding that King Krewl abdicate his ill-gotten throne. Happily, the sometimes Christ-like Scarecrow survives both burning at the stake and drowning in a waterfall, but not without the help of less overconfident friends.

Gorgeously illustrated in both color and black and white, the Scarecrow Of Oz is excellent in every way and belongs at the very top of the multi - volume Oz heap.

In this delightful story, a young girl named Trot and her long-time friend, the one-legged sailor Cap'n Bill, are drawn into an adventure that takes them to the magical land of Oz. Readers who are familiar with the works of L. Frank Baum will recognize these two characters from two previous novels that are set outside of Oz, The Sea Fairies and Sky Island. While it is not necessary to have read these two works prior to reading this book, the three novels taken together outline the close relationship of this optimistic and courageous young girl and her pragmatic companion, the worldly retired sailor who lost his leg at sea.

The plot is familiar to readers of other Oz books. Mortals from the outside world get hopelessly lost, but retaining their determination and good will, they move forward until they find themselves in the fairy land of Oz. All along the way Trot and Cap'n Bill meet fantastic beings and explore strange countries which the author creates with a joy and imagination that seem boundless. On this trip they meet and become fast friends with a strange flying creature called the Ork, who, although featherless, is equipped with a propeller as well as four wings. Together the three of them continue on to the Land of Mo where they inexplicably come across another beloved Baum character, Button-Bright, a boy who is unflappable and prone to getting lost. These four next find themselves in a remote and inaccessible corner of the land of Oz called Jinxland. Here they fall victim to the cruel plots of King Krewl and the magic spells of the witch Blinkie. Discovering their plight, the Scarecrow of Oz decides to go to their rescue. But what can a man of straw do to fight a corrupt king and an evil witch? Find out for yourself and enjoy every minute of it by reading this wonderful book.

The Books of Wonder edition has recreated the original first edition with all its twelve color plates, over 100 black and white illustrations, and a full color dust jacket by John R. Neill. It also includes a three page essay by Peter Glassman that discusses this work as it fits into the writings of the author, L. Frank Baum. This is a must-read for Oz aficionados and a joy to anyone interested in children's fiction.

"The Scarecrow of Oz" is a great book to have on your bookshelf with the rest of the Oz books in the series. You'll love the Ork and his friends, Pon the gardener's boy and Princess Gloria.

This book covers a cross section of subjects. While I think the father intended it's focus to be about his relationship with his son, the son's in-depth narrative of boot camp and his transformation into a Marine were much more touching to me.

As to the father-son relationship, this is the tale of a loving father who is losing his son as he grows to a man. And this really starts before he enters the Marines as he becomes more attached to a girl of whom the father does not approve...When the son John enters boot camp, the real excitement starts as you live through the experience with him. The brainwashing of these recruits seems extreme until you watch these recruits grow into the type Marines the DIs wanted. I'm not sure I could survive the mental and physical effects of boot camp and anyone who has passed boot camp is to be commended. It's interesting to watch these guys struggle the last few weeks with injuries that should be treated but would only delay the recruit's training.

After boot camp, the book then shows the negative of the military. This motivated recruit is sent for Morse Code training for 4 months only to be sidelined for over a year, as his security clearance has not been processed in Washington. What a waste of taxpayer money and young people's lives. But even this demeaning treatment does not shake the extreme pride in the Corp.

Probably the most important lesson of this book is how a son from an upper-middle class family chooses a career in the Marines while suffering the ridicule of the liberal friends of his parents and how his father's attitude changes about this. I felt this could have been covered in more depth. More importantly, this recruit bonds with the fully integrated Marines and learns to share many experiences with most other recruits less fortunate.

I strongly recommend this book to learn more of one of our greatest natural resources, the men and women who choose to serve in the military. The most heart-wrenching part of this book is seeing the stories of Marines with families who qualify for food stamps. People, something is not right with that concept

Frank! Thank you. My son became a Marine last May 10th and reading Frank and John's book brought it all back to me (from my side of the story). I haven't laughed out loud reading a book in years. Frank touches every concern, fear, regret, and revelation I went through. The way we treat our military, the reasons why the Marine Corps is so attractive to young people, why Marines love their Corps and each other. I was especially impressed with his observations about the people who showed up for graduation. On my video tape I made of my son's graduation you can hear me say, "Now this is real American diversity in action. Look at all these different types of Americans!" I was proud and humbled of my son and the other sons that marched before us. I thank God we have the Marine Corps and that our sons are part of it. Frank and John have shown a way for us citizens to understand what a precious thing we have in our children and our Nation. Again, my thanks to Frank and John for sharing this great experience with the Nation our children protect.

When I finished reading this book I was fighting a lump in my throat, tears welling in my eyes, and a heart bursting with pride

Maybe it's the old Marine in me; I became one 61 years ago, and like everyone who has ever worn the Eagle, globe and anchor emblem, I am still one. I felt so proud for John, the son, and his accomplishments. He appears to be the "Classic" Marine!

The book made me feel good about John's whole family whose loyalty and love made his early ordeals at Parris Island less burdensome. And Frank's role as Father couldn't have been handled better even if pre-scripted.

Marines everywhere and "wannabees" will love this story.

After Baum's success with the first book, he penned the sequel "The Marvelous Land of Oz". It was a decent book, but it was missing one important element. Dorothy. He corrects that oversight in this one, and the book (and the rest of the series) is all the better for it. Dorothy makes her second trip to Oz, this time with her chicken Billina (don't worry, Toto would also return in later volumes) and the action is non-stop. If you planned on reading the series and had a tough time getting through book 2, don't stop. They keep getting better and better as Baum develops into a first-rate author. Read them in order and don't stop until you've finished book 14 (and then even dip into the books by other authors, none are as inspired as Baum's, but some of them are pretty good).

And if you've read all the Oz books and are looking for other titles that are just as magical and just as inspired, try the Chronicles of Narnia, King Fortis the Brave or Abarat. All will introduce you to other magical worlds that are every bit as fun to visit as Oz.

Firstly, if you are new to the Oz series, read The Marvelous Land of Oz before reading this book. Marvelous Land of Oz is what directly follows the original, infamous Oz book.
Believe me they just keep getting better.
This is a lovely book to read aloud to children of all ages. I highly reccomend all of the Oz books for their amusing, imaginitve characters(in this book, The Wheelings and Billinia are introduced) , their fantastical situations (trees with lunch boxes full of food, talking chickens, a shipwreak, all in this one), sweet plot and storylines. These books still stand the test of time (written over 100 years ago!)for good reason.
This book really sets the tone for the rest of the books to follow and in my opinion the best. A must read for every family.

Ozma of Oz is the 3rd book in The Wizard of Oz series and follows The Land of Oz. In this book, you will be reunited with many well-loved characters and be introduced to characters you will soon love.

Dorothy, who was not in the last book, again comes into this story. After being shipwrecked, she and Billina, a yellow hen, arrive on land. They wander around to see where they are and discover a new friend, Tik-Tok, a wind-up, mechanical man. They also find a castle. Inside, lives the family of Ev, who have been captured by the evil Nome king. Only a princess who can change her heads lives inside. Dorothy, Billina, and Tik-Tok decide to rescue the Ev family with the help of Ozma. --I won't mention who Ozma is because you may not have read The Land of Oz. You will find out in a later review.--

I would highly suggest this book, along with The Land of Oz because of the adventures and fun.

NOTE: This is not the edition of the book I would have liked to review. I just didn't see it anywhere. This review is based on the Del Rey edition.

Dorothy and the Wizard In Oz is the 4th book in The Wizard of Oz series.

In this story, Dorothy and Zebediah (Zeb), her second cousin, fell into the middle of the earth though a crack. When they landed, they were in a city. The rest of the story is the trying to get out of the middle of the earth.

There is one really neat thing that happens in this book. As many of you remember, whether you read the book or saw the movie, the Wizard of Oz floated away in a hot-air balloon. Well, in this book, the Wizard lands in the city where Dorothy and Zeb are. He must have been floating for a really long time!

As I have for all of the books in this series, I suggest this book for those who like to read for fun and don't mind a little major fantasy. (Like when Dorothy and Zeb fall through the earthquake to the center of the earth, they could've never survived!)

I think Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz is a exciteing book which is funny and intresting in a lot of ways.I read all the Oz books but I think this one is one of his best!I definetly rate this a 5 star book! From Hallie McPherson

L. Frank Baum, who wrote the Wizard of Oz, a little before WWI, the famous tale of Dorothy and her delightful friends that was immortalized in the 1939 film starring Judy Garland, did not stop writing the adventures of Dorothy. In later years, he wrote further exploits, as Dorothy returns to the magical realm time and again, meeting with her old friends the Tin Man, the Scarecrow, etc but encountering newer evils, i.e. Mombi the witch. The only other film drawn from these later novels is the 1980's film "Return to Oz" starring Faureza Balk as Dorothy, a less popular film. I highly recommend the Oz books, all of them, though you might want to check their chronological and consecutive order, for they are excellent works of fiction and fantasy, and in fact, the very first "fantasy" series of its time. Baum did what Tolkien would later do in his extensive Lord of the Rings novels and what C.S. Lewis did in his Narnia Chronicles, the first book being the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe. These works of fantasy are excellent. In this particular story, we again meet Dorothy (formerly Pip, a young Kansas boy, a sort of male counterpart to Dorothy, had adventures in Oz) who has been living with her cousin Zeb in California. While riding on a buggy, an eathquake takes Dorothy and Zeb deep underground and they are transported back to Oz. We are introduced to characters that will appear in other Oz novels, including the benevolent enchantress and ruler of Oz, Ozma, who took over the land after the incident involving the phony Wizard in The Wizard of Oz. The rest is history. Dorothy will forever live in our hearts, and the Oz will forever be linked with innocence, with magic, and with childhood. I still enjoy reading these novels, and everyone should also, and be caught up once again in L. Frank Baum's immortal epic.

With the completion of Glinda of OZ, I can now claim to have read every one of L. Frank Baum's OZ books, including the short story compilation.

After glancing at Glinda's Magic Record book, Dorothy notices war has been declared in a remote corner of OZ no one has ever visited. Being the good, just, and noble queen she is, Ozma decides to travel there with Dorothy and the wooden sawhorse in order to implore her people to solve their differences without violence. The journey there is practically uneventful (Ozma and Dorothy adroitly find themselves out of only one misstep), but once they visit Evil Queen Coo-eh-oh they find themselves imprisoned under a globe. Glinda, alerted of their peril by an enchanted ring she gave to Dorothy, sets out immediately with all of OZ's favorite characters in order to rescue the two girls and make peace between the Flatheads and the Skeezers.

Unfortunately, I did not enjoy this story as much as I did the others; perhaps that is because I've grown up and lost my ability to see the playful fun in Baum's books-although I certainly hope not!

"In which are related the Exciting Experiences of Princess Ozma of Oz, and Dorothy, in their hazardous journey to the home of the Flatheads, and to the Magic Isle of the Skeezers, and how they were rescued from dire peril by the sorcery of Glinda the Good."

Always one of my favorite Oz books, Glinda was Baum's last and posthumously published. I can't count how many times I've actually reread it over the years-- that should be enough of a review in and of itself.

Excitment surged through me as I browsed the bookstore shelf, I had found the long-forgotten OZ shelf of the childrens section. I read most of the OZ books long ago, but I had noticed that there were a few that I didn't recall reading, so I ventured into the corner were Frank Baums captivating stories were held. I bought this book, excited about Dorothys adventures that I had yet to experience, and when I opened the cover, I noticed a note stating that this was Baum's last book, and that the publishers were going to try to create another book about OZ. I obviously noticed that this never came to be. Baum seemed to know this would be his last book, because the world of Oz went out with a bang. Every loved character was mentioned, or brought back into the wonderful tale of Dorothy, Ozma, Glinda, Flatheads and Skeezers. In a tribute to the amazing wizard of literature, this was one of Baum's best books about everyones favorite fairyland...OZ.

This was a highly enjoyable quick read that had me laughing out loud and brought a tear to my eye. Calvin and his family spend a part of each summer in lovely Portofino,Italy. Calvin's parents are strict Prodestant fundamental missionaries who are desparate to convert the "heathen Catholics" around them. Calvin's two sister's are equally zealous, but Calvin is not so sure. He is constantly embarrassed by his mother's non-stop praying, his father's temper and the agonies of adolescence. On another level however there are many obvious jabs at fundamentalists, and as I understand the author was in fact raised by missionary parents there are some very unflattering references drawn with respect to his father. That said this is still a super little read that is both poignant and hilarious. It's worth your time to seek this one out.

I picked up Frank Schaeffer's Portofino in an airport bookstore as my wife and I took off for a trip to Europe. For the next week, as we prepared to go to sleep in different hotel rooms and camping grounds I read aloud the story of Calvin and his family. While the book is represented as a coming-of-age story, we were most enthralled with the challenges to a child growing up in a devout missionary family where religion was the sacred basis of life, but also the tedious anchor to adventure. Our favorite scene involved the 'bahini' (beach attendant) arguing with the English and the Italians after a dispute on the amount of time a rental boat was used. A delightful book, and moreso as a book read aloud between two adults

My daughter and I had the best time reading "Portofino" she picked it up in the airport an couldn't put it down while on Spring Break, then passed it on to family and friends. Even tho we are "sadly delusioned Roman Catholics, clinging to empty tradition and meaningless ritual" we totally loved this book! I have now read it twice (every bit as funny the second time around) in preparation to leading the discussion at our Door County Summer Book Club. Can't wait to hear everyone's comments.

L. Frank Baum's enduring story is wonderfully presented in this elegant edition and the Washington Post called Lisbeth's The Wizard of Oz "the loveliest edition imaginable."

However, the assessment of the local kids is the drawings are "weird." Perhaps intended for a more adult audience, the illustrations are beautiful--I enjoyed them--but their idiosyncratic style may not appeal to the younger set.

The characters pictured in the illustrations are dramatcially reinterpreted by the artist, however this may disappoint some viewers. The Scarecrow will look nothing like any scarecrow you've imagined. The Witch of the North is difficult to identify. This fresh point of view will be enjoyed by some but is sure to disappoint others.

I also felt the illustrations don't tell the story as well as the edition by Michael Hague or the original edition with W. W. Dinslow. (This is more important to the younger, read-to crowd, than the older, I can read it myself crowd.)

My daughter asked that we return the book and get a different edition for her. I would urge you to carefully consider the sample pages, except the sample pages don't cover a broad range of the illustrations included with this edition. The sample pages do include an image of the dramatic and striking cover. Unfortunately, in the judgement of several reviewers from 4 to 40, the other illustrations were noticably more "weird" than the cover and I don't think the sample pages represent the overall reading/viewing experience scrupulously.

The Wizard of Oz is about a girl named Dorothy who is a farm girl from Kansas. One day Dorothy is carried away by a cyclone to a magical land called Oz. While she is there she meets a tlaking scarecrow, a man made of tin, and a cowardly lion afraid of his own shadow. Dorothy and her friends follow a yellow brick road to the Emerald City where they hope to find the famous wizard that can grant each of their wishes. But the wicked witch keeps trying to ruin their trip to the Emerald City.
The setting of the book is in a magicla land full of little people called Munchkins, flying monkeys, and a wicked witch that will melt if touched with water. The characters have their separate reasons for wanting to see the wizard. As the story goes on, the reader can not help but fall in love with them.
The text gives great detail as to what everything looks like and with those details the whole world of Oz can come to life in the readers imagination.

The Wizard of Oz written by L. Frank Baum is a wonderful book about a young girl who goes on an adventure full of excitement and fun. Dorothy the main character lives on a small country farm in Kansas with her Aunt, Uncle, and small dog, Toto. One day a twister comes over their country farm and whisks Dorothy along with her little dog away to a make believe land called Oz. There she is greeted by the people who live there. She asks them how she can get home to Kansas. They tell her that the Great Oz will help get her home. But before she heads on her way to Oz the Good Witch of the North kisses her on the forehead and says that with that kiss no one can harm her. So she and Toto head on their way to Oz. On her way she meets The Scarecrow who wants a brain, a Woodman made of tin who wants a heart and a Cowardly Lion who wants courage. These four new friends eimbark on an adventure to the great city of Oz. Will they all get their wishes? Find out when you read the Wizard of Oz. I loved this book because not only did it have fantasy but it is a great book for all ages. I recomend it to anyone who loved being a child.

NOTE: This is not the edition of the book I would have liked to review. I just didn't see it anywhere. This review is based on the Del Rey edition.

The Emerald City of Oz is about how Dorothy, Aunt Em, and Uncle Henry go to live in Oz because of financial problems. Also, the Nome King is plotting to conquer the Emerald City along with many other dreadful creatures. To find out what happens, read The Emerald City of Oz. It's very exciting!

Though I loved the original Wizard of Oz, and have enjoyed all the Oz books for more than 20 years (back to when my mother first read them to me), Emerald City ranks as my all-time favorite. It's full of adventure, suspense and humor. Who could forget the ridiculous roly-poly Nomes and their quixotic plan to conquer Oz with the help of some rather bizarre allies? Or the village where every house and fence (not to mention every inhabitant) was edible? As I write this, my week-old son sleeps in my lap. I can't wait to read him this book when he's old enough to appreciate it.

This Oz book is one of the more disjointed ones, more a sort of package tour of Ozma's magic kingdom than a quest. But the vignettes are charming and stick with you. The "Rigamaroles" have become part of this family's culture, with my 12 yo son and I occasionally getting into rigamarole competitions, where we go on and on without saying anything. Bunbury and Bunnybury also stuck with me during the six years between reading this to my first son and my second; utensia is ... punny; and the cuttenclips, the fuddles, and the flutterbudgets are all cute and endearing. A great read aloud for the 5 to 10 set.

Onr thing, though: The famed metallic ink in the Books Of Wonder edition is just sort of glittery. Nice, but not really any big deal. I don't think that this is the best looking BoW Oz book.

As much as L. Frank Baum loved Oz, it always frustrated him that none of his other books ever attained the popularity that his Oz books did. He therefore came up with a technique that allowed him to write other books but still give them the exposure that only his Oz books had. He would write the book he wanted to write, have the characters visit Oz at some point (usually at the end) and call it an Oz book. Rinkitink in Oz is a classic example of this. It is the story of a boy prince, a talking goat and the good king Rinkitink, a fat man who enjoys a good laugh and a good meal. Circumstances force them to work as a team when the island that the boy people lives on is raided and all of his people, including his parents, are taken as slaves.

The set-up is great. The plot believable and the action exciting. The only unfortunate element is that Baum felt he had to bring Oz into the story in order to sell copies of this book. It is apparent from reading it that he had conceived the story as a completely independent project, but threw a brief visit to Oz in at the end so that it could be mentioned in the title.

In fact, most of the action is already completed by the time Oz comes up. The islanders have been saved and returned home. The conquerers defeated. The only thing left to do is for the prince to rescue his parents, who had been placed in the custody of the Nome king. Both he and Rinkitink undergo a series of tests in the underground kingdom, which they pass successfully. At this point Baum could have (and probably wanted to) have them rescue the parents and go home heroes. End of story. Unfortunately, however, he needed to work Oz into the story, so after putting his heroes through all the trials and challenges, he deprives them of the ultimate victory. Instead, at the very last second, Dorothy and the Wizard stroll into the cavern and demand that the Nome king release the parents. The book would have been much better off if it were the the prince and King Rinkitink that, after enduring so much, secured their release. But then again, if that had happened, despite it being a much more fitting ending, "in Oz" could not have been added to the title. And in order to make the title complete, the group then goes back to the Emerald City for a banquet on their way home, which also adds nothing to the story.

In short, this is a very good book. It could have been a great book if Baum were allowed to write the story he wanted to write, but demands of the publishing company required that this become an Oz book. It is still a book worth reading, but at the end you are likely to become disappointed either because Oz was brought into the story when there was no need for it, or because this promises to be an Oz book, but there is not enough Oz for your tastes...

Books of Wonder has reprinted the original 1916 edition of Rinkitink in Oz with color dust jacket and cover. This is a truly beautiful book with 12 color plates and nearly 100 black-and-white drawings by John R. Neill, the famous illustrator of almost all the Oz books.

Rinkitink is the fat, lazy, and irresponsible king of the small kingdom of Rinkitink which lies on the shore of Baum's imaginary Nonestic Ocean. He is too lazy to walk any great distance and keeps a surly saddled goat named Bilbil near him always to provide him with transportation. His redeeming qualities are his jovial nature, his great love of life, and his ability to burst into spontaneous laughter or song. The story of the book mainly takes place on islands in the Nonestic Ocean and begins when Rinkitink, tired of the responsibilities of ruling, sneaks away without telling anyone where he is going. He visits Pingaree where Prince Inga is a quiet boy who spends much of his time reading books in a tree.

Pingaree is a rich kingdom and is attacked by marauders soon after Rinkitink arrives. They loot and sack the island taking all the islanders back to their own islands of Regos and Coregos as slaves. Prince Inga, Rinkitink, and Bilbil are overlooked and left stranded on Pingaree. How can a lazy overweight king, a shy boy, and a surly goat rescue the Pingareeans? This is the drama of Rinkitink in Oz.

The characters are among the best developed in any of Baum's work. The plot is tight and exciting. Danger and force are confronted with a charming grace that marks Baum's best works. Also, this is my favorite Oz book to read aloud. Rinkitink's joviality, laughter and songs are great for recitation.

The title of the book may be a bit misleading because Oz is not even mentioned until the last five chapters of this 24 chapter book. According to the Afterword by Peter Glassman, Rinkitink was originally written in 1905, 11 years before it was published. Other commitments and illness prevented Baum from writing a book in 1916. So he took the unpublished Rinkitink and reworked the ending to bring Dorothy and the Wizard, as well as a brief visit to Oz, into the plot. Although this sudden shift is the weakest part of the book, loyal Oz fans will not mind once Ozma throws one of her famous banquets for Rinkitink and Inga. This is also a good book for readers not familiar with the Oz series since it stands on its own more than most of the other books in the series.

Rinkitink in Oz is one of the most extraordinary books in all the world. In which King Rinkitink travels to his neighboring island. His goat can talk. And kind of is a smart aleic.While he visits the island. The king tells his son of the three magnifcent pearls. They are all different colors. Blue for strength, pink for Guarding & white for guidance. The white one will tell him everything he wants to know. The king shows him where he hides the pearls in case of an emergency. The other two islands neighboring them is there enemy. They are mighty, strong & courageous. Those islands capture all of them except Rinkitink, The prince & the goat. Next they go on a quest to free there people. It is quite an amazing story & i rate it 5 stars.

Baum wrote a dozen or so Oz books in the early 1900s. The movie was made from the first in the series. "The [Marvelous] Land of OZ" is the 2nd in the series, and possibly the best.

The short chapter from page 71-81 reaches a level of perfection attained only rarely in the history of literature, and is certainly equal to even the best passages of Mark Twain or James Thurber. I can't read that passage out loud to my kids without going into a fit of laughing myself to tears. I wish I could reprint it here.

You must try if you can to obtain the wonderful hardcover (or sometimes called 'library binding') edition that goes by the ISBN number of 0688054390. It is a stunning, faithful, amazing facsimile of the original 1904 edition complete with its beautiful color-illustrated endpapers and dozens of gorgeous original color plates and black and white illustrations so charmingly integrated with the text.

I snapped up a dozen and gave them away as birthday gifts for kids age 7 and up. I don't know if there are any left in print, and it's a good bet these will go up in value. Fine first edition OZ books command a pretty penny.

I am most familiar with the fantasy world of Oz through the classic musical film starring Judy Garland. "The Marvelous Land of Oz," by L. Frank Baum, could be read as a sequel to the film. Three of the film's most important characters -- the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, and good witch Glinda -- are important characters in this book (although Dorothy and the Cowardly Lion do not appear).

Baum creates a marvelous cast of new characters to interact with the three familiar ones mentioned above. Central to this story is Tip, a young boy whose unhappy life with a mean witch will probably remind some readers of Harry Potter's less-than-ideal home life with the Dursleys. Tip's escape from the clutches of the witch Mombi is the start of a fantastic adventure that leads him to the fabulous Emerald City, to an encounter with an all-female army led by a bold conqueress, and to relationships with the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, and a host of equally fantastic beings.

The new characters are really great, but probably my favorite is Jack Pumpkinhead, an artificially-constructed, pumpkin-headed being brought to life by magic. Jack has a childlike innocence that I found quite endearing. Also memorable is the ornery but courageous Saw-Horse, another magical being.

There is a curious undercurrent of subversive gender politics to the book; although the main party of adventurers are male, the most powerful characters in the book are ultimately its female characters (both heroic and villainous). And one jaw-dropping plot twist (which I will not ruin by revealing!) furthers this theme.

This book is quite simply a wonderfully delightful story, well-told by Baum and superbly complemented by John R. Neill's whimsical illustrations. And despite the fact that it's a fantasy, I felt that the book has some relevant real world themes, most notably the ideas of respecting diversity and valuing "unusual" folks. And the friendship between the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman is especially heartwarming. "The Marvelous Land of Oz" is a great classic for both adults and young people.

The title of my book is "The Marvelous Land of Oz." It is by
L. Frank Baum, who is well known for writing the Oz books. I think that anyone, who is six years old, or older, would like the book. Even people who are 100 years old would laugh out loud at this hilarious book.

The story takes place in Oz, a magical land that has strange and funny people. This book is a sequel to "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz." Many of the characters and parts of the story are very funny.

The Emerald City of Oz is a beautiful place until General Jinjur invades it with her army. The scarecrow, who is the king of Oz, and his friends, try to regain the throne only to find that there is another real heir to the throne!

Tip is the book's main character. While many of the characters are very unusual, Tip looks like a human and is from the country of Gillikins. He gets in bad trouble with Mombi, who is evil and he runs away to the Emerald City. He becomes friends with the Scarecrow and tries to help him return as king.

The genre is adventure. Here is an example:
Tip thought this strange army bore no weapons whatsoever, but in this he was wrong. For each girl had stuck through the knot of her hair two long glittering knitting needles.

I give this book 5 stars because it was so good I could not put it down, and I read all 119 pages in only two days.