The Marvelous Land of Oz

The Marvelous Land of Oz, L. Frank Baum's 1904 sequel to The Wizard of Oz, follows Tip, a boy, through a kingdom turned upside down.

Tip lives with the witch Mombi, who works him hard and shows him no kindness. For a bit of fun, he builds a man out of a pumpkin, sets the head on a stick body, and brings him to life with a pinch of magic powder he swipes from the witch's cupboard. He calls his creation Jack Pumpkinhead. When Mombi turns cruel, Tip wakes a wooden Saw-Horse with the same powder and rides off with Jack before she can stop him.

The road leads to the Emerald City, where trouble has already taken hold. An army of girls led by the sharp-tongued General Jinjur has stormed the palace and driven out the Scarecrow, who had been ruling in the Wizard's place. Tip falls in with the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, and a growing cast of odd new friends as they set out to win the throne back. Along the way, the good witch Glinda digs up an old secret about Tip himself, one that turns the whole adventure on its head.

This is a coming-of-age fantasy full of Baum's playful invention: living creatures made of pumpkins and tin, a girl-led rebellion, and a kingdom where nothing stays quite as it seems. It's a natural next stop for listeners who loved The Wizard of Oz and want more of its warm, whimsical strangeness, or anyone who enjoys old-fashioned fairy-tale adventure with a gentle wink of humor.

Room opens between the scenes, the tone stays light, and the pace stays easy, so the story can carry you off before Tip reaches the end of the road.