Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz (1908) marked a return to form of sorts for its author L. Frank Baum. Unhappy with the previous year’s publication of
Ozma of Oz, and eight years removed from the publication of
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Baum sought to reinvigorate his fledgling fantasy series with a novel true to its roots.
The story begins with an earthquake. Dorothy and her companions are plunged into the world of the Mangaboos, who blame them for the disaster that has wreaked havoc on their lives and destroyed their homes. Moments before they are to be sentenced to death, the Wizard of Oz appears in an air balloon—after years of living in exile from the Emerald City—and saves Dorothy, Eureka, Zeb, and Jim. The Wizard uses sleight-of-hand to convince the Mangaboos of his powers, allowing the group to escape. Together with the wizard, Dorothy and her companions travel through the Valley of Voe, climb Pyramid Mountain, and cross the Land of the Gargoyles, only to find themselves not only farther from home than when they began, but hungry, thirsty, and at the mercy of a vicious dragon. In a last-ditch effort, Dorothy attempts to reach Princess Ozma, in the hopes that the ruler of the Emerald City will save them from certain doom. With a familiar narrative and characters new and old, L. Frank Baum’s Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz is a sequel worthy both of its esteemed predecessor and the reader’s rapt attention.
Filled with rich, detailed layers of fantasy from the mind of L. Frank Baum, Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz is a story about the frail innocence of childhood and the will to persevere that can be found in even the youngest of hearts. Long overshadowed by the film, Baum’s series is required reading for children, adults with children, and adults who refuse to let life lose its flavor of fantasy.
With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of L. Frank Baum’s Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz is a classic of children’s literature reimagined for modern readers.
