The Lost Ruler of the Land of Oz. The Tin Woodman from the Land of Oz

In the early 20th century, American writer Lyman Frank Baum (1856–1919) created a series of fairy tales about the magical land of Oz. This edition presents the eleventh and twelfth parts of this cycle: “The Lost Ruler of the Land of Oz” and “The Tin Woodman from the Land of Oz.” Young readers will encounter beloved familiar faces and exciting new adventures. Enchanting illustrations for the tales were created by American artist John R. Neill (1877–1943). The stories were translated into Russian by Sergey Yuryevich Afonkin (1957).

Lyman Frank Baum (1856–1919) was an American writer, poet, and playwright, best known for his famous series of books about the Land of Oz. Versatile and talented, throughout his life he played roles as an actor, playwright, merchant, and editor of magazines, but from an early age, Baum was drawn to writing his own works. He gained worldwide fame with his cycle of fairy tales about the wonderful Land of Oz. The first book in the series (“The Wonderful Wizard of Oz”) was published in 1900 and became the best-selling children's book in the USA. Soon, the story of the girl Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, and the Cowardly Lion won the world over. Four years later, Baum wrote a sequel, which was also enthusiastically received by the reading public. As a result, Baum penned fourteen books dedicated to adventures in the Land of Oz. Adaptations and theatrical productions based on little Dorothy's travels began during the writer's lifetime, and his books are still being reissued in numerous editions and translated into various languages of the world. This edition will introduce readers to the eleventh and twelfth parts of the series. “The Lost Ruler of the Land of Oz” (1917) tells of the mysterious disappearance of Princess Ozma. Together with her friends, young Dorothy follows the trail of the kidnapper to rescue the ruler of the magical land. The following tale—“The Tin Woodman from the Land of Oz” (1918)—narrates how Nick Chopper sets out to search for the beautiful Emma—the girl he loved back in the days when he was a man of flesh and blood. These marvelous stories are illustrated by American artist John R. Neill—his drawings adorned the first editions of the beloved fairy tales about the enchanting Land of Oz.

John R. Neill (1877–1943) gained fame as an illustrator of children's books. His creative journey began early—he was already drawing for the school newspaper in high school. Later, Neill began collaborating with periodicals: he worked on comic illustrations and illustrated stories for children. In 1904, Neill's illustrations accompanied the first edition of Baum's second book—“The Marvelous Land of Oz.” Since then, Neill's wonderful illustrations adorned every book in this cycle, including stories written by other authors after Baum's death. Additionally, Neill himself authored several stories about the Land of Oz. His elegant, expressive, and dynamic illustrations beautifully convey the characters' personalities and the appearance of the magical land.