Books

Chicago: George M. Hill, 1900. Very good plus.. First edition of the book that gave Americans their own fairy tale, with all the textual points of the first state and a mixed state B/C of the plates. Although it was only one of four books Baum published in 1900, THE WIZARD OF OZ was his most ambitious as a publication: he and illustrator W.W. Denslow envisioned an elaborate production of color-printed plates to reflect the role that color plays in the story. The expense turned publishers away until Baum and Denslow took the gamble to pay for the printing costs themselves. Their instinct was right: the book quickly became the fastest selling children's book in the United States, and was soon turned into a sensation at the theater. Denslow and Baum would soon part acrimoniously over the share of the profits (Denslow purchased, no joke, an island from his); the rest of the Oz books in Baum's lifetime were illustrated by John R. Neill. Baum has a complicated legacy: he was also a…

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a children's novel written by L. Frank Baum. It tells the story of Dorothy, a young farm girl who is whisked away to the magical Land of Oz by a tornado. Alongside her dog Toto, she meets a Scarecrow, a Tin Woodman, and a Cowardly Lion, and they journey together to the Emerald City to meet the Wizard of Oz. Along the way, they face various challenges and the wicked Witch of the West. Dorothy's goal is to return home to Kansas, and she eventually discovers that the power to do so has been with her all along. The story is celebrated for its vivid imagery, and the underlying message that true bravery, love, and intelligence come from within.