January 8 feature: Ozma of Oz

My niece Katie recently told me that one of her favorite books is The Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum. She's right. It's a great story. Of course, the movie filmed in 1939 made this story an enduring part of popular culture, but may also cause us to overlook Baum's other creative books. Dorothy went on to have other adventures. Ozma of Oz is one of those. From start to finish, I was taken with imaginative way Baum weaves the story. Dorothy anchors the story with her positive outlook and "midwest nice" manners. We're introduced to new characters like Tiktok, the bronze man (an early twentieth century robot!) and a yellow talking hen Dorothy dubs Billina. Tiktok and Billina help Dorothy and her friends (the Scarecrow, Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion) rescue the Queen of Ev and her ten children from the Nome King. It's a light, enchanting story.