Customer Reviews

Jack Pumpkinhead of Oz (The Wonderful Oz Books, #23)

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4 star:		(2)
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This book gives a major role to Jack Pumpkinhead, a character who never really had one in the Baum books. In this story, Jack must test the capacity of his pumpkin seed brains, and he really does come up with some clever ideas. With the help of the Red Jinn (who becomes a more important character in later books), he eventually manages to save all of Oz from a restless and ambitious baron. As is usual for Oz books, this one contains a lot of clever new creations, including an Iffin, a baron with a never-ending beard, and a runaway Christmas tree intent on finding new ornaments. There are also many new magical items, and some well-written sequences, including the description of the main characters' entrance into the fortress city of Baffleburg. While not one of the best or most important Oz books, it is definitely a fun read.

Yes I agree with the other reviewer, this is not the best nor deepest nor most beautiful oz book; the plot is a formula and it certainly does not show the ruling administration of oz in its best light, but it's fun fun fun for the boys and the tomboys. It moves even faster than TIKTOK OF OZ, and Jack Pumpkinhead, who has always been as drippy a drip as Eeyore himself and almost always a negative asset to his party, does a little swashbuckling and saving-the-day his own self. (He may not be smart but he knows when to consult an expert.) Peter from Philadelphia is back, plucky and athletic as ever, and we meet cleverly-conceived new interlopers, enemies, and friends, (if I may be allowed to borrow a phrase from another book). There are so many magical items that they risk losing their appeal. Read it to take your mind off things after a very bad day.

Horrid, horrid and ghastly that Amazon would literally scan and self-produce a book and then sell it as the original item. I have been looking for any of Ruth Thompson's Oz books for years and finally succumbed to buying at Amazon.. thinking that I would finally get to hold such an item... I was fooled, this is a mock-job and a bad one at that. The cover graphics are blurry, the inside back cover even mentions the exact date of my purchase and the words "Lexington KY".... I was snowed and should be expecting a call from Amazon customer service to let me know that they have a real copy of this book, not this trash that was sent to me.