The Hungry Tiger of Oz. The Gnome King of Oz

The story by Frank Baum (1856–1919) "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" became incredibly popular in the USA and in many other countries around the world. The captivating plot, magic, colorful illustrations – all made this book stand out among children's literature of that time. The heroes of Oz quickly won the hearts of young readers. Riding the wave of success, Baum wrote a second book, then a third… Ultimately, his series about Oz included fourteen stories and several tales. The stories about Oz were republished in numerous editions and sold very well. When Baum passed away, the publishing house Reilly & Lee turned to the young talented writer Ruth Thompson, offering her to continue the series of stories about Oz.

The American artist John R. Neill (1877–1943) illustrated every book in the Oz series, except for the first – the drawings for it were made by W. W. Denslow.