The Magic of Oz. Glinda the Good Witch of Oz

Lyman Frank Baum (1856–1919) was an American children's author, poet, and playwright, best known for the famous series of books about the Land of Oz. Throughout his life, he took on roles as an actor, playwright, merchant, and magazine editor, but above all, he was drawn to writing his own works from a young age. Baum gained worldwide fame from 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. Baum's fairy tale was strikingly different from most children's works of that time. Its success lay not only in the original and fanciful plot but also in the fact that morals were not imposed on the child — they simply stood behind the actions, thoughts, and feelings of the characters. Soon, the story of the girl Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, and the Cowardly Lion captivated the whole world. Four years later, the author wrote a continuation, which was also warmly received by the reading public. In total, Baum published fourteen books about adventures in the Land of Oz: the writer presented them every year as gifts to his young readers at Christmas. This edition presents the concluding parts of the series written by Baum, namely the thirteenth and fourteenth books of the cycle. In “The Magic of Oz,” the wizard's son, Button-Bright, accidentally discovers a terrible secret — a magic word that can turn any person into anything. Upon learning of this, the gnome Ruggedo, with the help of Button-Bright, intends to conquer the Land of Oz. “Glinda the Good Witch of Oz” was published after the writer's death. In it, familiar characters like Dorothy, Princess Ozma, and Glinda desperately try to stop a war that may occur in the land of the Gillikins. Both enchanting stories are illustrated by American artist John R. Neill — his drawings adorned the first editions of the beloved magical tales about the Land of Oz.

John R. Neill (1877–1943) became famous as an illustrator of children's books. His artistic career began early — even in high school, John drew for the school newspaper. Later, Neill began collaborating with periodicals: he drew comics and illustrated stories for children. In 1904, with Neill's illustrations, the first edition of Baum's second book — “The Marvelous Land of Oz” — was published. Since then, Neill's unique illustrations have adorned every book in this cycle, including stories written by other authors after Baum's death — some were even composed by the artist himself. Neill's lively, graceful, and magical illustrations brilliantly convey the characters of Baum's heroes and the look of the enchanting Land of Oz.