The Emerald City of Oz Review
Things in Kansas look terrible: Uncle Henry is likely to lose the farm. Dorothy gets Ozma, the beautiful, good queen, to transport her back to the Emerald City for good. Once there, she requests that Ozma bring her aunt and uncle, plain American folks from the prairies, to live in Oz. Ozma agrees. Meanwhile, back in the Kingdom of the Nomes, the evil king plots revenge against those nasty Oz people who took his magic belt---see "Ozma of Oz". He dumps a reluctant general or two, then finds an evil character who not only agrees to the invasion through a tunnel under the Deadly Desert, but goes to round up some even more fearsome allies.
The book unfolds along two paths. On the first, Dorothy takes her aunt and uncle on a short tour of a bit of Oz, meeting all sorts of strange inhabitants along the way. On the second path, we follow the Nome King's preparations for the invasion and ultimate enslavement of all the Oz folks and the utter destruction of the country. They are going to emerge from the tunnel right in the Palace Gardens. Ozma, a bit late in the game, gets wind of the Nome King's plans, but seems to have no magic that can counter his evil intentions. The Scarecrow---remember he's the one with the brains !---comes up with a solution, but will it work ? You should read this Oz book to find out. It's the sixth in the series and has a lot of references to earlier events. Along with "Ozma of Oz" and "Glinda of Oz" I think it has always been my favorite. Baum certainly could never resist a good pun. Who knows ? Maybe I learned to pun from him. The dreamlike illustrations and intriguing stories are unforgettable. If you or your child are still into reading, you should not neglect this particular book, or the whole series. They are five star childrens' books. If creating another world is one of the primary functions of literature, then the Oz books certainly do that---the world of Oz has stayed with me over sixty years.
The Emerald City of Oz Overview
Book 6 of L. Frank Baum's beloved OZ books, in which the wicked Nome king, who plots to conquer Oz and enslave its people, prepares to invade the Emerald City just as Dorothy and her Aunt Em and Uncle Henry arrive!
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Customer Reviews
Beautiful Copy of the Original - Trudy Richardson - Kennesaw GA
Having grown up with the OZ books I was extremely pleased by this copy. The cover and illustrations are as I remembered as a child and brought back wonderful memories of my excitement when I found and read the series in my school library. I bought this one for my grandaughter who loves The Wizard of Oz and was not aware of the many wonderful OZ stories. This series is fun for both children and adults and could well be the enticement any child would need to read!
It's a classic - Kade Ents - Ohio
This edition book of the original series of 14 Oz books by Frank Baum is great. It includes original drawings and look of the original books that were published. If you're interested in collecting the series, this edition will look great in your personal library. It's also great for a beginning reader, though it is more tame than the Harry Potter generation is used to (keep in mind it was written almost exactly 100 years ago).
A Charming, Pacifist Romp Through Oz - Jeremy Garber - Denver, CO United States
Perhaps the best of the Oz books. While Dorothy tries to get her Uncle Henry and Aunt Em to move permanently to Oz, the evil Nome King assembles an army of outcasts and misanthropes to take over the pesky do-gooders once and for all. Emerald City is best for Dorothy and her friend's tour around the countryside of Oz, including cities full of nonsense-spouting philosophers and nerve-wracked "what-iffers," living paper dolls, and the arrogant rabbits of Bunbury. Also significant is Baum's sincere commitment to populism and pacifism, evident throughout the book especially in Empress Ozma's refusal to meet force with force. A must read in the Oz series (even with Baum's desperate attempt to get out of writing more books with the surprise ending).
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