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The Wizard of Oz, with eBook

Audiobook (Includes supplementary content)
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available
Most of us remember The Wizard of Oz as the film starring Judy Garland and Bert Lahr. But the film was based on L. Frank Baum's immensely popular Oz series, which was published in the early twentieth century. In these novels, Oz is the utopian land beyond the rainbow where threats are turned back with valor and ingenuity. The books' success lies in the way they induce children to look for the element of wonder in the world around them.


Considered the first truly American fairy tale, The Wizard of Oz follows the adventures of Dorothy Gale and her dog, Toto, after her Kansas home is swept away by a cyclone and lands in Oz, killing the Wicked Witch of the East. The Munchkins and the good witch, Glenda, show them the yellow brick road, which leads to Emerald City and the powerful Wizard of Oz. On this unforgettable journey, Dorothy encounters the brainless Scarecrow, the heartless Tin Woodman, and the cowardly Lion, each of whom must overcome the wrath of the Wicked Witch of the West to get his heart's desire.
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  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      October 29, 2012
      Caldwell’s angular, dynamic artwork leans more toward Saturday-morning cartoons than romantic fantasy in the fourth comics adaptation in his All-Action Classics series. His Dorothy is gap-toothed and freckled; the black-eyed and troll-like Munchkins are truly alien; and the witches recall Disney villainesses like Snow White’s Queen or The Little Mermaid’s Ursula. (Caldwell’s Wicked Witch of the West even speaks with a Western twang: “You and yer little furry thing have back-breaking, bone-crunching work to do!”) Caldwell follows Baum’s original novel rather than the iconic film. The heroes are pursued by the Kalidah, “horrific beasts, with heads like tigers and bodies like bears,” and the famous path the four friends follow, as in the original, is called the “road of golden bricks.” The humor, though, is his own. “She enslaved and tormented us!” says one Munchkin about the Wicked Witch of the East. “She despoiled our lands!” says a second. “And cut library funding!” adds a third. Caldwell’s Wizard of Oz slots conveniently between Spongebob Squarepants and Adventure Time, and readers will fly through this story with the speed of winged monkeys. Ages 10–14. (Nov.)■

    • AudioFile Magazine
      THE WIZARD OF OZ is a bleaker and more frightening book than the movie that was made from it. So children (and their adults) who expect Dorothy to burst into cheery song should be prepared. That said, it is full of adventure. Adams Morgan enunciates his narration overprecisely, sounding somewhat affected until one becomes used to it. Otherwise, his characterizations are delightful--the Tin Woodman even sounds hollow--and his pacing careful enough to let young listeners keep up with the action. A.C.S. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine
    • School Library Journal

      July 1, 2005
      K-Gr 6 -Rebecca Burns narrates L. Frank Baum's classic work. Her clear voice ably brings the story to life, but she makes little attempt to differentiate between the characters and there are no sound effects. At times, Burns reads with a little too much earnestness. Children familiar only with the classic film will find the original story enlightening. While this version may not rival Flo Gibson's classic narration of the story (Recorded Books, 1980), libraries looking for a traditional reading of this title to complement abridged versions such as the Story Theater edition by Monterey Sound Works, "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz", will find this offering a suitable choice. -"Rachel Davis, Thomas Memorial Library, Cape Elizabeth, ME"

      Copyright 2005 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Listening to THE WIZARD OF OZ is an eye-opening experience. There's more to this story's plot, themes, and connections than is revealed in the movie classic. Anna Fields's narration creates a new vision of a younger, sweeter Dorothy; more one-dimensional, fairy-tale-like characters; a more adventurous journey to Oz; and a new ending. Although Fields seems stiff and reserved at first, ultimately those same qualities help simplify the story and keep it truer to the original. Her voiced rendition keeps the characters clear most of the time and helps maintain the simple quality of the story, "in which the wonderment and joy are retained and the heartaches and nightmares are left out." W.L.S. (c) AudioFile 2002, Portland, Maine
    • AudioFile Magazine
      Baum's book lacks the brassy gloss of the movie. Its simple language and righteous tones are well read by Rodger Stevens, who sounds oddly reminiscent of Mr. Rogers. S.B.S. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine
    • AudioFile Magazine
      This BBC Radio dramatization of Baum's classic takes listeners back to the days when families gathered around the old Philco and listened to talented vocal artists. Maureen Lipman rightfully gets top billing for her deliciously evil Wicked Witch of the West. You hear her churlish grin in every cackle as she plots to outwit that "goody-goody" Belinda and "her wimpish friends." Baum's irony is brought to life by the "brainless" Scarecrow's clever problem-solving, the "heartless" Tin Man's compassion, and the "cowardly" Lion's bravery. One minor complaint . . . although the story is truer to the book than the movie, the illustrated cover shows ruby slippers instead of silver. N.E.M. (c) AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine
    • Publisher's Weekly

      January 25, 1999
      Viennese illustrator and Hans Christian Andersen Medalist Lisbeth Zwerger takes a fresh look at L. Frank Baum's The Wizard of Oz in a large-format edition. Zwerger's fantastical, delicate, eccentric illustrations bear no resemblance to the vision of the movie; they make the classic tale new again. And readers can view the Emerald City through a pair of green-tinted glasses, provided in the back of the book.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

Languages

  • English

Levels

  • ATOS Level:7
  • Lexile® Measure:1000
  • Interest Level:4-8(MG)
  • Text Difficulty:5-7

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