Magic of Oz, The

  • Chicago: The Reilly & Lee Co., 1946
By BAUM, L. Frank
Chicago: The Reilly & Lee Co., 1946. The Magic of Oz

BAUM, L. Frank. The Magic of Oz. A Faithful Record of the Remarkable Adventures of Dorothy and Trot and the Wizard of Oz, together with the Cowardly Lion, the Hungry Tiger and Cap'n Bill, in their successful search for a Magical and Beautiful Birthday Present for Princess Ozma of Oz. Illustrated by John R. Neill. Chicago: The Reilly & Lee Co., ca. 1946.

Later edition. Quarto (9 x 6 ¾ inches; 229 x 171 mm). [viii], 13-265, [266], [2, blank] pp. Illustrated throughout in black and white, many full-page by John R. Neill.

Publisher's tan cloth over boards, front cover with mounted color pictorial label, spine decoratively stamped and lettered in black. Original color pictorial dust jacket. A near fine copy.

The thirteenth book in Baum's celebrated Oz series, The Magic of Oz was first published in June 1919, one month after the author's death. This later Reilly & Lee edition, issued ca. 1946, reflects the publisher's post-war reformatting of the series: the twelve color plates that accompanied the first edition were dropped, leaving only the black-and-white line illustrations throughout. The cloth binding is characteristic of the 1940s re-issues, with a mounted pictorial label on the upper cover and an attractively printed dust jacket for the post-war children's market.

The story recounts the attempt of the Munchkin boy Kiki Aru and the deposed Nome King Ruggedo to conquer Oz by means of a magical transformation word. Meanwhile, Dorothy, Trot, Cap'n Bill, and the Wizard of Oz seek a fitting birthday gift for Princess Ozma. Their adventures bring them into contact with enchanted forests, transformed animals, and the steadfast Cowardly Lion and Hungry Tiger. The narrative closes with the thwarting of the invasion and the reaffirmation of Ozma's benevolent rule.

Details

Title

Magic of Oz, The

Author

BAUM, L. Frank

Condition

Unknown

Publisher

Chicago: The Reilly & Lee Co., 1946


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