Book Review -- The Road to Oz (Module 4)

Biography by Kathleen Krull

1. Bibliography

Krull, Kathleen. THE ROAD TO OZ: TWISTS, TURNS, BUMPS, AND TRIUMPHS IN THE LIFE OF L. FRANK BAUM. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2008. ISBN 03759322168.

2. Plot Summary

This autobiography of L. Frank Baum by Kathleen Krull details the colorful life of the creator of "The Wizard of Oz" and the Oz books that followed. We learn of Baum's wealthy upbringing, his vivid imagination, and his love of children and storytelling. We learn of his various careers and his great love of his family life. "The Wizard of Oz" was published in 1900. In the "Storyteller's Note" at the back of the book, the author points out, "...Oz was the Harry Potter of it's day..."

3. Critical Analyis

The reader learns how very likeable and yet how very human Baum was. Children learn of some of Baum's inspirations for the book. Although several examples are given, one example is that the tin man likely came into being from Baum's stint as a window dresser in a hardware store, in which he made a unique display - a man made of metal parts.

Many of Kevin Hawkes illustrations hint at other inspirations. A scarecrow on a hillside, poppies growing roadside, and a broom being used for a prop for one of Baum's stories are several examples. The pictures throughout are very colorful. They carry the action on associated pages well.

4. Review Excerpts

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books review:
"...Sprinkled through with wry parenthetical asides, Krull's text is witty and reader-friendly, and it provides a narrative yellow brick road that makes the writing of the Oz books seem inevitable, a natural out'growth of all of the experiences Baum had along the way..."

Hornbook review:
"Though Baum's financial ups and downs before Oz offer dramatic "bumps," that may not be the most appropriate structure for his life story... Krull's frequent parentheses produce a distracting stop-start rhythm: "Finally it dawned on Frank that he could be writing down those bedtime fantasies he told the children. (Actually, his mother-in-law was the one who pointed this out.)" Krull does describe Baum's anti-Native editorials in his small Dakota newspaper more forthrightly than previous biographers. In all, an entertaining look at how a peripatetic man in a rapidly changing society produced a lasting fantasy tale."

The Christian Science Monitor review:
"Younger readers will enjoy the vibrant, detailed illustrations, while older readers (or history buffs) will delight in the little-known facts and literary allusions. . . . Sharp-eyed readers will also spot references to the story of the girl from Kansas who trekked to the Emerald city--even on the first page of this colorful biography..."

5. Connections
This book could be used in a unit to show what biographies are. It could also be incorporated supplementally into a study of "The Wizard of Oz" or any of the Oz books. It could also be used to illustrate the value of focus and perserverance.