In 1900, a former travelling salesman published a book about a girl from Kansas and her adventures in a strange land. It soon became one of the best-loved children’s stories of all time, with generations of children growing up with Dorothy, the Wicked Witch of the West and, of course, Toto.

A tornado hits the plains of Kansas, plucking up the house where orphan Dorothy and her little dog Toto live with Aunt Em and Uncle Henry. The house is whirled high into the air, and ends up, with Dorothy and Toto, in the magical land of Oz. To return home, Dorothy must find the Great Wizard of Oz, destroy the Wicked Witch of the West, and travel even further, to the powerful Good Witch of the South. Fortunately, Dorothy finds new friends and loyal companions, a Scarecrow without a brain, a Tin Woodman without a heart and a Cowardly Lion, to accompany her on her quest to the Emerald City and beyond.

PRODUCTION DETAILS

Quarter-bound in blocked buckram with printed paper sides 

Set in Electra with Kane display

200 pages

Frontispiece and 24 colour and black & white illustrations

Pictorial slipcase

10˝ × 7½˝

THE QUINTESSENTIAL AMERICAN FABLE

‘Sara Ogilvie’s illustrations give new life to L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz ... A book not just for Christmas’

Dinah Hall, Daily Telegraph

It is the quintessential American fable, a story of striving, self-determination and optimism. Dorothy is the personification of youthful enterprise and resourcefulness: a girl in a strange land who finds her way home and establishes true friendships in the process. It is also a powerful story of illusion and showmanship: the Wizard is not a real magician, but a showman who spreads happiness through benign deception. This figure could well represent Baum himself and his belief in the redemptive power of the imagination.

Above all, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a spellbinding story filled with excitement. The land of Oz is beautiful, with its happy Munchkins and dazzling Emerald City, but there are also Winged Monkeys, witches, wolves and deadly poppy fields which poison the unwary. This Folio Society edition contains 25 enchanting images, including seven double-page spreads and ten full-page pictures. Award-winning artist Sara Ogilvie has captured all of the book’s colour and charm, from the slinking, shame-faced Lion to the terrifying Kalidahs. Green-washed duotone images represent the Emerald City, and a double-page map shows the topography of Oz. In a fascinating new introduction, Harvard professor Maria Tatar explains why we, like Dorothy, are drawn to Oz time and again.

L. Frank Baum tried his hand at numerous ventures, from poultry farming to theatre, yet it was only when he began to write children’s stories that he found success. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was published in 1900, and has since become one of the most popular children’s books of all time, inspiring many sequels and the beloved MGM film of 1939.

‘I cannot understand why you should wish to leave this beautiful country and go back to the dry, gray place you call Kansas.’

‘That is because you have no brains,’ answered the girl. ‘... There is no place like home’.

ABOUT SARAH OGILVIE

Sara Ogilvie was born in Edinburgh and lives in Newcastle upon Tyne. Best known for her children’s illustrations, her books in collaboration with author Anna Kemp have been shortlisted for the BookTrust Early Years Award, The Waterstones Children’s Prize and the Roald Dahl Funny Prize. In 2011 she was awarded a BookTrust Best New Illustrator Award. She has previously illustrated four books for The Folio Society: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (2010), The Midnight Folk (2011), The Box of Delights (2012) , The Comedians (2015) and The Hundred and One Dalmatians (2017).