 First edition cover | |
| Author | L. Frank Baum |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | John R. Neill |
| Language | English |
| Series | The Oz books |
| Genre | Children's novel |
| Publisher | Reilly & Britton |
Publication date | July 30, 1907 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (hardcover) |
| Preceded by | The Marvelous Land of Oz |
| Followed by | Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz |
Ozma of Oz, published on July 30, 1907, was the third book of L. Frank Baum's Oz series. It was the first in which Baum was clearly intending a series of Oz books.[1] It was followed by Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz (1908).
It is the first Oz book where the majority of the action takes place outside of the Land of Oz. Only the final two chapters take place in Oz itself.[2] This reflects a subtle change in theme: in the first book, Oz is the dangerous land through which Dorothy must win her way back to Kansas; in the third, Oz is the end and aim of the book.[3] Dorothy's desire to return home is not as desperate as in the first book, and it is her uncle's need for her rather than hers for him that makes her return.[1] This is the first book to mention Dorothy's last name, Gale.[4]
The book was illustrated throughout in color by artist John R. Neill. It bore the following dedication: "To all the boys and girls who read my stories – and especially to the Dorothys – this book is lovingly dedicated."
The full title of the first edition read Ozma of Oz: A Record of Her Adventures with Dorothy Gale of Kansas, Billina the Yellow Hen, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, the Cowardly Lion and the Hungry Tiger; Besides Other Good People Too Numerous to Mention Faithfully Recorded Herein.
- ^ a b Peter Glassman, "Afterword," p 271 L. Frank Baum, Ozma of Oz, ISBN 0-688-06632-1
- ^ Riley 1997, p. 135
- ^ Riley 1997, p. 137
- ^ Simpson, Paul (2013). A Brief Guide to Oz. Constable & Robinson Ltd. p. 36. ISBN 978-1-47210-988-0. Retrieved 10 February 2024.