Customer Reviews

How the Wizard Saved Oz

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At first I wasn't entirely interested in getting this book, but later I bought it (through BiblioQuest, the site to get out-of-print books) and read it. Once again written and illustrated Denslow-impersonater Donald Abbott, this book continues from where 'How the Wizard Came to Oz' ended (before Dorothy came to the Emerald City).
The Mouse Queen manages in convincing the Wizard in helping her search for her kidnapped Field Mice, with a clue left behind to help them. Travelling through a secret tunnel beneath the Emerald City they pass by the Throne of Pastoria and Oscar tells the Mouse Queen about the story of how the King of Oz disappeared and about the wickedness of Generald Riskitt (from the 1902 Stage Musical of 'the Wizard of Oz). Once out of the tunnel, the two travel across the Mauve Mountains and narrowly defeat the Whoozis and Whatzis, strange creatures who like the Kalidahs are formed from more than one beast (and in case they sound farmilar, their names come from MGM's deleted song "the Jitterbug" just as the friends begin singing). In the night, they come across a pumpkin-house belonging to a strange woman and the next morning they meet a Well-Dressed Woggle-Bug, who helps them a little bit more with their journey. Finally arriving at the City of Lavendoria, Oscar shockingly sees his archenemy Generald Riskitt, who once they follow, find out that he is working with Mombi the Witch, and are using the Field Mice on a machine that will suck all the Magic of Oz. Mombi captures the Mouse Queen and Oscar fights General Riskitt, who's much easier to beat than Mombi, who traps him. With all the Field Mice together, Mombi gains the power of all the magic of Oz, and she is transformed. Oscar manages to free himself, destroys Mombi's plan and frees the Mice. Everybody manages to escape before the cottage explodes and they make their way home. After crossing the Mauve Mountains and making a visit to Mombi (who still managed to keep a secret from the Wizard and Generald Riskitt), Oscar makes his return to Emerald City, but is then attacked by Generald Riskitt. Fortuantely the Field Mice come to Oscar's rescue and Generald Riskitt meets is defeated.
This book was a good read as a sequel to a prequel and I liked how not only was it another prequel to 'the Wonderful Wizard of Oz' but also how it foreshadowed events in 'the Marvelous Land of Oz'. Just as "How the Wizard Came to Oz" took bits from the original story and MGM, this book takes up characters and designs from the Stage Musical/s, again from MGM and the 2nd Oz book ('Marvelous Land'). It's too bad how this book not only suffers from many spelling and grammar mistakes, but also the fact that with large lettering and just over 90 pages, the two "Donald Abbot's Wizard of Oz Before Dorothy" books would've been bettter suited as 1 entire volume instead of 2 separate books. If this had been done in the first place, then we'd have a major "How the Wizard Came to Save Oz" (more or less) 203-pg book on Oscar and the Land of Oz, before Dorothy and Toto's cyclone. Still, having two Oz-prequels is good.
There are Musicals based on the 'before-Dorothy' stories of the Cowardly Lion (Sony's 2000 animated "Lion of Oz") and the *MGM* Wicked Witch of the West ("Wicked: The Untold Story of the Witches of Oz") with the Wizard playing a small part in both histories, but how come no-one has ever actually thought to make a Movie/Stage Production based on the background history of Dorothy ("Looking for a Rainbow: The Story of Dorothy" by Vincent J. Begley) and Oscar Zoroaster/the 'Wizard' (Donald Abbott's books)?!

Donald Abbott followed up his first prequal to the The Wizard Of Oz, How The Wizard Came To Oz, with this second book that also has ties to Land Of Oz and the original 1902 WOZ musical. How The Wizard Saved Oz carries on during the time after Oscar Diggs became established as "the Great and Powerful Oz", but before Dorothy shows up.

In the story, the Wizard takes off with the Queen of the Field Mice to find out what happened to her subjects that have gone missing. They go through the underground passage underneath the Emerald City which was originally the throne room of the former King Pastoria's, and then head through the lands of the Whozis and the Whatzis. The Wizard then happens across the strange pumpkin-shaped house of the witch Mombi, where he makes a hasty retreat after realizing her wicked intents. They finally make it to the city of Lanvendoria, and encounter a rather sizable Wogglebug. However, the Wizard becomes concerned when he spies the evil General Riskitt, who is the evil brother of Pastoria, and rival to the throne of Oz. Riskitt goes to see Mombi who has created a special machine powered by the field mice to give him all the magic in Oz. Mombi betrays him, and uses the machine for herself, but it backfires when the Wizard uses some growth powder to temporarily turn all the field mice larger. The magic returns, and Mombi flees to her cottage in the north(where she is keeping Tip). The mice go back to normal size, and the Mouse Queen helps the Wizard in a final battle with General Riskitt who falls down a crack in the Earth.

I thought this was a little more lighthearted story from the previous chapter Abbott did, although How The Wizard Came To Oz told a slighty better story. The main difference is that the first one skimmed alot through the Wizard's ascension in Oz, while as this one was more of a complete stand-alone story of the Wizard's early days. The book continues some great illustrations by Abbott done in the style of W.W. Denslow. General Riskitt is not shown in the regular Oz books, but was an original character from the first stage play created by Baum himself, although the idea of Riskitt being Pastoria's brother was done exclusively for this book. Check out this and other great Oz books at Books Of Wonder, along with more of Abbott's works.

A real page turner- I only put it down once, but that was because I had to sleep. The Queen of Field Mice visits the Wizard for help in finding her subjects. They have to go to a tailor's shop in a Gillikin town, Lavendoria because the kinapper wore a robe from that shop. One problem they have to cross some mountains. Big deal yeah, but they at the mercy of a Whatzi and a Whoozis. Then the encounter a witch, Mombi who enchanted the royal family of Oz. They reach Lavendoria only to find the tailor gone and what next they meet the Wizard's archenemy General... you'll have to read the rest!