Celebrating the 120-Year History of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

In the first book of the series, Baum introduces us to world that's full of fantasy (the Wicked Witch of the West, Glinda the Good Witch, the eponymous Wizard of Oz) and the everyday (farms, Kansas). This was especially smart to do at a time when there were few children's book that allowed for imagination instead of strictly teaching morals, with Alice in Wonderland being a prominent exception.

The story, as many know, starts with a young girl named Dorothy being swept up in a cyclone with her dog, Toto. The two are transported to the magical land of Oz, and soon set off on an adventure down the yellow brick road (along with Scarecrow, Tin Woodman, and Cowardly Lion) to find the Wizard of Oz and return home.

L. Frank Baum had not expected The Wonderful Wizard of Oz to be the first book in a series, but in 1904, he succumbed to the wishes of his readers. Baum once jokingly complained that "The children won't let me stop telling tales of the land of Oz. I know lots of other stories, and hope to tell them sometime or another, but just now my loving tyrants won't let me."

To that end Baum created Tip, a poor orphan boy raised by the nasty Wicked Witch Mombi. Tip escapes from Mombi and finds himself in Oz, along with a few enchanted companions.

Dorothy is back in the third book of the series, though she's not in Oz, but Ev. She also has a new challenge: facing the wicked Nome King. And though she's met a few new friends in Ev, including Tik-Tok and Billina, she also calls upon some of her old friends from Oz for help.

In the fourth book set in the land of Oz, Dorothy is accompanied by her kitten Eureka when she's swallowed by an earthquake, leading to her being captured by the Mangaboo people. Using only his wits and nine piglets, the Wizard of Oz must win a magic contest to save them. But when Eureka eats one of the Wizard's piglets—and is charged with murder for doing so—his task becomes much more difficult.

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Toto rejoins Dorothy in the next book set in the land of Oz. The two are on their way to Princess Ozma's birthday party when they become lost, having tried to give directions to the Shaggy Man.This leads them on an adventure filled with new characters, including Polychrome, the Rainbow's daughter, and Button-Bright, a silly boy.

Dorothy's Aunt Em and Uncle Henry never really believed her fantastical stories about the land of Oz—until she brings them to see it for themselves. With their farm in danger, Dorothy thinks Oz is the perfect place for her family to resettle...but the Nome King has other plans.

This Oz book focuses not on Dorothy but on a young Munchkin named Ojo the Unlucky. His uncle has been turned into a statue, and it's up to Ojo to track down the magic ingredients that will bring him back to life. His companions include an arrogant Glass Cat, a four-legged Woozy, the resourceful Shaggy Man, and the Patchwork Girl herself—and he'll meet a few more familiar characters along the way.

Tip's friend from the second Oz book returns in this story, as his brother Shaggy Man goes on a quest to find him. At the same time Glinda the Good Witch casts a fog to prevent Queen Ann of Oogaboo and her army from taking over Oz—and it's there that the Queen and Tik-Tok run into one another.

Said to be L. Frank Baum's personal favorite of the Oz books, this story follows Scarecrow as he helps Cap'n Bill and Trot overthrow the cruel King Krewl of Jinxland. 

According to William Stillman, co-author of The Wizardry of Oz: The Artistry and Magic of the 1939 MGM Classic, Baum based his Scarecrow character on his own memories. "As a young boy, he had nightmares about being chased by a scarecrow. It would almost catch him and then collapse in a heap."

This story is filled with new characters, including King Rinkitink of Gilgad, his talking goat, Bilbil, and the young Prince Inga. When the three find themselves in grave danger, Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz hear of their troubles—and are determined to help.

There are three things missing in Emerald City: Glinda the Good's Great Book of Records, the Wizard of Oz's black bag of magic, and Princess Ozma herself. To find her, the Wizard, Dorothy, and a few companions set out to search the perilous unknown regions of Oz.

In this story, readers finally learn more about one of the original characters from The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the Tin Woodman. L. Frank Baum reveals how the Tin Woodman came to be and takes us on a journey as he and his good friend the Scarecrow go in search of his true love, a beautiful Munchkin girl named Nimmie Amee.

Though Princess Ozma wisely decreed that Glinda the Good Witch and the Wizard of Oz are the only two residents allowed to use magic, a boy named Kiki Aru defies her rule after he discovers a powerful magical word—Pyrzqxgl—that only he knows how to pronounce. Kiki turns himself into a hawk and explores lands beyond Oz, which leads to him meeting the villainous Ruggedo the Nome. 

This is the final story L. Frank Baum wrote about the land of Oz, though many authors have picked up where he left off. Dorothy and Princess Ozma set off on a mission to make peace between two warring tribes, only to find themselves taken captive. Now, it's up to Glinda the Good Witch to save them.