The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

Description

The tale of Dorothy, and her dog Toto, who are carried away by a tornado to the Land of Oz, is one of the best loved stories in children's literature. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was a bestseller on publication in 1900, and its popularity was further enhanced with the celebrated MGM movie in 1939 that made Judy Garland a star. On her journey to the Emerald City to seek out the mysterious Wizard and find a way back home, Dorothy encounters many endearing characters of whom the triumvirate of the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman and the Cowardly Lion prove lasting comrades. This new edition follows these wonderful characters along the yellow brick road and, as Robert Ingpen says, he 'had the privilege of drawing Baum's 'Oz' characters and their adventures to be as near to 'real' as I have always wanted them to be.' The journey from cyclone-stricken Kansas to Oz and back again is portrayed in fabulous colours and particularly emerald green. This is The Wizard of Oz brilliantly depicted by the Wizard of Aus.

L. Frank Baum (1856-1919) was born in the village of Chittenango, New York. His first children's book, a collection of nursery rhymes, was published in 1897, and he wrote many more books for children under his own name and various pseudonyms. He is best known for his books about the magical Land of Oz. The first,The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, was published in 1900 and was an instant hit - followed by thirteen sequels. Baum was an unstoppable creative force, pouring his energy and fortunes into his writing and producing many theatrical and film adaptations of his works. Robert Ingpen was born in 1936 in Geelong, Australia. He studied illustration art and book design at The Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. In 1986 he was awarded the Hans Christian Andersen Medal for his contribution to children's literature and has been honoured with Membership of the Order of Australia. A world-renowned artist and author, he has designed, illustrated and written over 100 books. This series of classic works illustrated by Robert includesTreasure Island,Peter Pan andWendy,The Jungle Book,The Wind in the Willows andA Christmas Carol. Robert lives and works in Anglesea, near his home town of Geelong.