Little Wizard Stories of Oz, by L. Frank Baum. Illustrations
by John R. Neill.
A Bantam Skylark book. “A set of six short stories written
for young children by L. Frank Baum, the creator of the Oz books. The six tales were published in separate
small booklets, "Oz books in miniature," in 1913, and then in a
collected edition in 1914 with illustrations by John R. Neill. The stories were part of a project,
by Baum and his publisher Reilly & Britton, to revitalize and continue the
series of Oz
books that Baum
had written up to that date. The story collection effectively constitutes a
fifteenth Oz book by Baum.” – Wikipedia. This edition: 1988.
Ranking: Essential.
File Code: Children’s Book. Softcover.
Mother Goose in Prose, by L. Frank Baum. Illustrated by
Maxfield Parrish.
A double whammy. Bought it while I was in college. Haven’t
read it. Baum’s own inventions about stories behind the nursery rhymes.
Ranking: Essential to the Baum collection.
File Code: Children’s Book. Short Stories. Hardback.
The Magical Monarch of Mo, by L. Frank Baum. Illustrations by
Frank Ver Beck.
I read this book in college (freshman year? I got so much of
my education – especially in Fantasy - from the college library), though in a
1947 edition, with pictures by Evelyn Copelman – who did the Dick and Jane
readers of my grade school years! I knew when I read this book where Piers
Anthony had got some of his story elements for the Sorcerer Humfrey in Xanth.
There was even a prototypical “Planet of the Apes” episode where a Prince gets
put into the zoo by a city of civilized monkeys. I got this Dover reprint years
later. God bless Dover!
Ranking: Essential.
File Code: Children’s Book. Softcover.
Queen Zixi of Ix, by L. Frank Baum. Illustrated by Frederick
Richardson.
With an Introduction by Martin Gardener, the old Oz expert;
it is a Dover reprint. Subtitled, “Or, The Story of the Magic Cloak”. Can’t say
I’ve read it all the way through. Characters from this book later make their
way into “The Road to Oz”, to visit Ozma on her birthday along with other
important people from Baum’s franchises. So you see, I must have it for the
Baum collection.
File Code: Children’s Book. Softcover.
The Sea Fairies, by L. Frank Baum. Illustrations by John R.
Neill.
Starring more characters that later wandered into the Oz
books. “When young Trot and her peg-legged sailor friend, Cap’n Bill, set out
to explore a hidden cave along the ocean coast, they soon find themselves on a
truly incredible adventure deep beneath the ocean waves, courtesy of some
friendly mermaids.” – Back Cover Blurb. A Books of Wonder reprint.
Ranking: Essential to the Baum collection.
File Code: Children’s Book. Softcover.
I like the Martin Gardner introductions to the Dover editions. I have the Dover John Dough and the Cherub as well, but that was at a convention. I found their Zixi and Mo at a bookstore.
ReplyDeleteI've wanted to get that one as well!
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