Grandpa in the Land of Oz. The Lost King from the Land of Oz

This edition features the fourth and fifth books of the cycle by American author Ruth Plumly Thompson (1891–1976) about the incredible Land of Oz: "Grandpa in the Land of Oz" and "The Lost King from the Land of Oz." They will introduce fans of this series to new brave and charming heroes, as well as tell readers about new amazing and dangerous adventures in this fairyland. The texts were translated into Russian by Alexander Yakovlevich Seredin (1961). The stories are illustrated with wonderful drawings by American artist John R. Neill (1877–1943).

The tale by Frank Baum (1856–1919) "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" became incredibly popular not only in the USA but also in many other countries around the world. The captivating plot, magic, colorful illustrations — all distinguished this book among children's literature of that time. The heroes of the Land of Oz quickly won the hearts of young readers. Riding the wave of success, Baum wrote a second book, then a third… Ultimately, fourteen stories and several tales were included in his cycle about the Land of Oz. The stories about Oz were republished in numerous editions and were selling out wonderfully. When Baum passed away, the publishing house Reilly & Lee approached the young talented writer Ruth Thompson, offering her to continue the cycle of stories about the Land of Oz.

Ruth Plumly Thompson (1891–1976) was born in Philadelphia, the largest city in Pennsylvania. Before becoming the second "royal historian" of the Land of Oz, she wrote a weekly column for young readers in one of Philadelphia's newspapers and wrote children's books. Thompson accepted the publisher's offer and delighted children with new stories about the amazing inhabitants of Oz until 1939. This edition presents the fourth and fifth tales by Ruth Thompson about Oz. "Grandpa in the Land of Oz" (1924) tells about the misfortunes that befell the patchwork kingdom of Ragbad. To save his homeland and find the storm-tossed head of King Pambo, Prince Tatterhood sets off on a journey accompanied by the old soldier Grandpa. In "The Lost King from the Land of Oz" (1925), readers learn about the return of the treacherous witch Mombi. Becoming an involuntary witness to her exposure, the Button Boy Snip is forced to go with her and the enchanted goose in search of the missing King Pastoria. The texts were translated into Russian by Alexander Yakovlevich Seredin (1961).

American artist John R. Neill (1877–1943) illustrated every book in the Oz series except the first — drawings for it were made by William Denslow. Neill's creative path began early: as a high school student, he drew for the school newspaper. Shortly later, he began collaborating with various periodicals: mainly, 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, and it was already adorned with Neill's illustrations. Since then, Neill's lively and bright illustrations have complemented each new book by the writer. Neill also illustrated the tales about Oz written by other authors after Baum's death; some of them were created by the artist himself. Neill's dynamic, expressive, and elegant drawings depict key events of each story about the Land of Oz and wonderfully convey the characters of its heroes.