Fiction Friday (105)

My daughter will turn 5 years old tomorrow, and one of the things that I'm really pleased about as she gets older is that I can actually read novels to her and she is engaged. A few months ago, we embarked on reading the Oz books, which I'd always meant to read but never had. Now I'm totally hooked. These books have earned their place in children's literature and right up there with the best of fantasy classics.

The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
Illustrated by Lisbeth Zwerger
(North South, 1999)

Everyone knows the tale of the young Kansas girl who gets caught in a twister and is transported to the fantasy land of Oz. While the movie version follows the book fairly faithfully, the book is slightly different, most notably the slippers are silver and not ruby.

The cast of characters are delightful. The Scarecrow who desires a brain, though he's always the most sensible. The Tin Woodman who desires a heart, but is always caring. And the lion who is hardly as cowardly as he believes himself to be. Together, this band of lost souls is able to free the enslaved people of OZ.

This is an interesting edition, illustrated by one of the finest illustrators of the last 30 years. She brings a unique perspective to the story, having never seen the film, or the original illustrations. 

Ozma of Oz by L. Frank Baum
Illustrated by John R. Neil
(Reilly & Britton, 1907)

The third book in the Oz series (originally 11 stories), was the basis for the 80's Return to Oz film. This story finds Dorothy back in the fantasy world, this time the Land of Ev, a neighboring kingdom to Oz. She is reunited with old friends the Scarecrow, the Lion, and the Tin Woodman, and some new friends like the copper mechanical man named Tic Tock. 

Dorothy joins her friends, and Ozma, the current ruler of Oz, on an adventure to the underground kingdom of the Nome King to free the Queen of Ev. 

This novel shows Baum's growth as a writer. Far more comfortable with the children's format, the story moves at a pace that is far more entertaining. I was completely enchanted with this book and can't wait to read the rest of the original books.