Customer Reviews

The Wizard of Oz (Illustrated Junior Library)

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The FULL ORIGINAL Story with NEW PICTURES in less than 100 pages!
I've looked through this book myself and I quite enjoyed the pictures, as this book makes a change from the previous traditional-drawn editions. Dorothy's hair is short, the Scarecrow is fat, Glinda looks french (in fact all the pictures give a bit of a French/European feeling when you look at them) and a few other changes, both a bit funny and interesting. An earlier reviewer said that the Good Witch of the North was difficicult to make out - I disagree. Many of the pictures have a bit of symbolism - e.g. on the page where the Wicked Witch of the West sends her wolves, she (specifically, her figure) is drawn as if it's/she's the ground and if you think about it, it's like Lisbeth is showing that the Witch says "You are MY domain of the West. I control what happens here!" Dorothy holds a GIANT Silver Shoe is she tries one on, and on page 45, when the green man mentions the many 'disguises' the Wizard can take form of (elephant, brownie, cat, fairy, 'any other form', etc.) she actually DOES draw those images. Just like John R. Neil, Lisbeth gives clothes to some of the Oz Animals to wear (the mouse Queen wears a polka-dot dress/suit and a ring on her tail!) The Kalidahs may scare very little kids, with their giant bodies, long tongues, long sharp teeth and claws. The Poppy Field brings to mind the giant poppy costumes from the 1902 Musical, (which is on the back cover of "Oz: Before the Rainbow"). Of course, it would have been nice if Lisbeth drew Dorothy looking around at the country of Oz (maybe showing the Witch's feet under the house) instead of the same old Munchkin-and-Witch-greeting. My favourite picture is with Dorothy and Toto flying back to Kansas. And the forest/trees where Dorothy and Scarecrow find Nick are pleasantly designed. For (Nick Chopper) the Tin woodman's story (24-25), Lisbeth draws him 4 times, but with his body turning to tin bit-by-bit. As for the writing, the pages are divided in half, giving us two long paragraphs down the page, so that when a chapter ends, the next chapter takes over on the next half of the page. Many pictures satisfy the story.
Also included in this book (in the back) is a pair of green glasses, which you can use to look through on the Emerald City pages (she explains why on pg 102). If you think about it and look at the images carefully, the pictures in this edition may just be better than you think . . .

I have not found a more beautifuly illustrated book yet, in any genre of book.
This book is marvelous!

This is the Wizard of Oz book to own. The pictures are very different from the movie, but incredibly beautiful and enchanting. The realistic and fantasy lighting in this book is beyond description, its the very best of any chilrens book I have ever seen.

My mother gave me this book when I was a child and I have cherished it ever since.
The story could not be presented in a more complimentary and beautiful way, its wonderful.

I recommend this to anyone, parents, child, or single adult, the book is wonderful!

It may be hard to find, but it is well worth it. This book will teach its readers and viewers to aprechiate great art.

This well-illustrated version of The Wizard of Oz is what I regard as a definitive gift-book edition of the story. Santore's superb illustrations speak for themselves and serve as vivid and real pictorial depictions of Baum's enchanting fantasy world. In addition, the carefully-condensed text flows so smoothly that the story moves ever vforward, without the transient episodes, that it does not seem lacking at all. I know that some readers might find the story lacking with omissions and such, but it is not a serious problem because the essence is still there. In short, a superb book for any fan of Oz, and any new readers encountering this world for the first time.

We gave this to our 4.5-year-old son for Christmas this year, and have been reading it over and over every since. The illustrations are spectacular, and the story is so beautifully extracted that -- especially with this audience -- it doesn't seem lacking at all. We are enjoying it to the hilt and plan to buy copies as gifts for other kids his age.

L. Frank Baum's enduring story is wonderfully presented in this elegant edition and the Washington Post called Lisbeth's The Wizard of Oz "the loveliest edition imaginable."

However, the assessment of the local kids is the drawings are "weird." Perhaps intended for a more adult audience, the illustrations are beautiful--I enjoyed them--but their idiosyncratic style may not appeal to the younger set.

The characters pictured in the illustrations are dramatcially reinterpreted by the artist, however this may disappoint some viewers. The Scarecrow will look nothing like any scarecrow you've imagined. The Witch of the North is difficult to identify. This fresh point of view will be enjoyed by some but is sure to disappoint others.

I also felt the illustrations don't tell the story as well as the edition by Michael Hague or the original edition with W. W. Dinslow. (This is more important to the younger, read-to crowd, than the older, I can read it myself crowd.)

My daughter asked that we return the book and get a different edition for her. I would urge you to carefully consider the sample pages, except the sample pages don't cover a broad range of the illustrations included with this edition. The sample pages do include an image of the dramatic and striking cover. Unfortunately, in the judgement of several reviewers from 4 to 40, the other illustrations were noticably more "weird" than the cover and I don't think the sample pages represent the overall reading/viewing experience scrupulously.

Great book except for the missing page(s). Page 182 the sentence stops mid-sentence and a new chapter begins. Not sure how much is missing, but a major misprint! Find another version.

I bought this because it had such good reviews, but as a fan of the original book, I was sorely disappointed. So much of the story was left out. I wanted something to share with my nieces to show them how much more there was than the movie. While this book was beautifully illustrated, it was missing so much!

It was very hard to find the Wizard of Oz story for toddlers... it is certainly close to impossible to find it in stores! This book is beautiful and just perfect for the 3-4 year old I purchased it for. Wonderful pictures and story is perfectly written for toddlers to understand and sit through, captivate.

I recently purchased the Wizard of Oz book for my 3 year old grandaughter and it was everything I expected it to be and more. The illustrations were wonderful and so true to life, she loves the book and reads it daily. The reviews written in Amazon were a big help in my chosing this particular Wizard of Oz.

Before I buy any book I always read all the reviews, and go and look at them at a book store. I went and looked at all the available Wizard of Oz books. This one by far beat all the rest. The artwork is so beautiful, and it just keeps on coming, page after page, with lot's of double page spread pictures. There is a lot of detail and enchantment to the pictures. It really takes you to another place in your imagination. The stroy as everyone
already knows is a classic that every child will enjoy. I can't say enough about this book!!!!