The Genealogy of the Land of Oz. Amazing Stories of the Land of Oz

The appearance of each new book by L. Frank Baum (1856–1919) about the Land of Oz was eagerly awaited by American children. The author's inexhaustible imagination made every new story about adventures in the world of magic a priceless gift for young readers. The fact is that at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries in the USA, it was believed that children's literature should primarily be educational. Children's books by American authors were filled with moral lessons, which were of little interest to very young readers, and lacked fairy tale motives, as fantastic plots were not welcomed in children's works. Baum's story "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" became a bestseller as soon as it was published: it had an engaging plot and was illustrated with bright pictures. Then Baum set to work on writing other books about the Land of Oz. His whimsical stories about the wonderful magical land were eagerly bought up and regularly reprinted in large editions. After Baum passed away, the Reilly & Lee publishing house offered the young Philadelphia writer Ruth Plumly Thompson (1891–1976) to continue the series about the Land of Oz. She accepted this offer and remained the second "royal historian of the Land of Oz" after Baum until 1939. During this time she wrote nineteen books about the inhabitants of the wonderful land and composed two more stories much later. This edition features Ruth Thompson's first book "The Genealogy of the Land of Oz" (1921) and a small collection of Baum's short stories "Amazing Stories of the Land of Oz" (1914). In "The Genealogy of the Land of Oz," the Scarecrow goes to the cornfield where he was once met by Dorothy: he first thinks about who his ancestors were and wishes to find his roots. "Amazing Stories of the Land of Oz" will tell readers about the new adventures of the Cowardly Lion, the Tin Woodman, little Dorothy, and other heroes inhabiting the extraordinary land.

The American artist John R. Neill (1877–1943) illustrated each book in the Oz series, except for the first — the illustrations for it were done by William Denslow. Neill's artistic journey began early — even in high school, he drew for the school newspaper, and then began collaborating with periodicals: John drew comics and illustrated stories for children. In 1904, the first edition of Baum's second book — "The Marvelous Land of Oz" — was published with Neill's illustrations. Since then, Neill's lively and vivid illustrations have adorned not only every Baum book but also stories written by other authors after the writer's death; some were written by the artist himself. Neill's expressive, elegant, and magically infused illustrations brilliantly convey the characters of Baum's heroes and the appearance of the magical land of Oz.