Customer Reviews

The Road to Oz (Little Golden Book)

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Random House recently came out with this Little Golden Book edition The Road To Oz, the fifth Oz book. It was adapted by Peter Archer, and illustrated by Harry McNaught. This is so far the only title in the Little Golden Book Line adapted from one of L. Frank Baum's Oz series, although its presented like a follow-up to the original Wizard Of Oz story. In it, Dorothy is back in Kansas runs across the Shaggy Man. They then go to the strange fox-ruled land of Foxville and meet the Fox King who sends them on their way to Oz. They then encounter a slightly plainer version of the rainbow fairy Polychrome who joins them. Once they come to a river, Shaggy Man summons the interdimensional contractor Johnny Dooit to build them a boat to get across it. The party finally reaches Oz, and the regular gang celebrates Dorothy's return. Shaggy Man stayed in Oz, while Dorothy is sent back home in a magic bubble. This was a pretty decent adaption of an Oz book, even though it was done over for kids. A few changes like the complete removal of Button Bright from the story as well as Ozma's birthday, plus the Lion wearing glasses, and Ozma appearing around the same as a Glinda. I'd definately recommend it as a children's book, and a pretty fair collectible for fans.

I had this book as a child, among many, many others; next to toys, books were my favorite things and this one stood out by virtue of the illustrations. One from this book stayed with me for several decades, a tantalizing memory and one I never thought I'd see again. When I saw the cover I knew this was The Book. When it arrived I found my picture and was lost in the wonder of it all and the memories. It is at the end of the book and shows Dorothy and Toto and Toto's bone encased in a huge bubble flying through the night sky back home. It is very evocative to me now as it was then, over 50 years ago, and how glad I am to be able to look at it again.