Customer Reviews

Return To Oz - Dorothy Saves the Emerald City (Walt Disney Pictures Return to Oz (Little Golden Readers))

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This little Golden Book is the 4th and final volume in the 'Return to Oz' series. Although the previous three books focus on 1/3 of the movie at a time, this book recalls what has happened in the previous adventures and adds to it, with the later pages mainly focusing on the Return to Emerald City. The story is as follows . . .
Dorothy and Billina follow the Yellow Brick Road and reach the Emerald City, which is now in ruins. After seeing stone statues of her old friends Tin Woodman and Lion, she meets Tik-Tok, who promises to help find the Scarecrow. Inside the castle of Princess Mombi the Wicked Witch, they all get locked up in the tallest tower, where they meet and befriend Jack Pumpkinhead, who escapes with them. At the Nome King's Mountain, it has been revealed that the Nome King transformed Scarecrow into an ornament, but Dorothy breaks the spell and frees him. As soon as the spell's broken, the Nome King's Mountain begins crumbling down. But Dorothy finds the Ruby Slippers, and wishes for them all to be back in Oz. Back in the ruins, Dorothy wishes for the Emerald City and all the citizens to be restored to the way they were before. Once done, the Citizens of Oz have a parade in honour of Dorothy and her friends. The Scarecrow suggests for Dorothy to stay and be Queen of Oz, but Dorothy says that she can't, knowing that her family would be worried about her. When she wishes that she could be in both places at the same time, an image of a beautiful young girl appears. Dorothy helps the girl get out of the mirror, and it is revealed to be Ozma, Queen and Rightful Ruler of Oz, also Jack's mother. Ozma tells Dorothy how she was imprisoned by Mombi. Ozma sits on the throne, and Dorothy gives her the Ruby Slippers, on condition that anytime she wants to come back to Oz and go back to Kansas, Ozma shall grant the wish. Dorothy promises that she will never forget her friends as they say good-bye to her and Ozma clicks her heels together . . .
This is the best book of the series, with lovely pictures, again in a style done different to the previous volumes. The first picture of Dorothy and Billina on the Yellow Brick Road may please some people of MGM's Oz because the scenery is done in that style. Also, there are some out-takes and changes. Such changes are Dorothy making more than 1 wish for Oz with the Ruby Slippers and Ozma looking like Dorothy (although I don't think I shall ever understand why they chose that concept for the movie books). The out-takes are Kansas (so unfortunately we don't see a loving reunion embrace with Aunt Em, Uncle Henry and Toto at the end), encountering the Wheelers (although one can be seen in the Throne Room), Dorothy's friends making their guesses and Billina's importance in the victory, and furthermore of Mombi's involvement. It's interesting, though, how the Gump is NOT mentioned in being the escape from Mombi, and how he doesn't appear until the Emerald City Parade and is more seen after that. One picture that is almost exactly like the comic, is Dorothy helping Ozma to step out from the mirror, although there is a little mistake in forgetting to draw Dorothy's left arm/Ozma's right arm connection - Ozma's shoes are more clearly seen than the movie. Also interesting, is that in the final picture, Dorothy is wearing a new pair of shoes unlike her old Kansas blacks, and is holding Billina, making us wonder if in this book Billina is going back to Kansas with Dorothy (or not?, as the movie goes). The only *small* thing I don't like about Ozma is that in her first picture her head is drawn a little uncomfortable and later her hair isn't long enough. In this book (and the comic) we can see the Guardian of the Gates, the Patchwork Girl's hair, the Shaggyman (not Santa Clause) and a few other characters from the movie's parade. As before, many pictures are illustrated versions of movie-photos.
Even with the abandoned Kansas ending (which would have been nice and made the book a little better), this was a lovely ending to the Little Golden Return to Oz Book Set. I recommend this and almost all other 'Return to Oz Movie Books'.