The Wizard of Oz (book 1) part 2

Ray Bolger as the Scarecrow

My daughter said that i read too slow and if i'm going to blog about books i need to read faster - or something like that - to paraphrase what she said. 

It's only taken me six days to read The Wizard of Oz by Lyman Frank Baum. First published in 1900 when it sold 90,000 it was originally banned in some libraries 'due to its simple style and language.' How odd is all i can say but it's now 2011 and it's a whole different world out there. 

I think its a charming little book and once it gets going a very visual book. Whether that is because i have seen the film i don't know, but maybe? 

There are a number of other characters that we meet in the book that we don't meet in the film, such as the bears with the tiger's head known as Kalidah's but i say no more, you really must read the book. One of my favourite scenes from the book which doesn't appear in the film is the one where they come to a 'broad river' which they cross by a raft the tin woodman makes. They all climb aboard and begin to make their way across by the use of poles. Half way across the river becomes faster and they get carried further and further down stream away from the yellow brick road. After a while the Scarecrow ends up pushing his pole into the river where it becomes stuck and instead of letting go he ends up clinging to the pole in the middle of the river. 

I have this lovely image in my head, all of my own i may add, of Ray Bolger the original Scarecrow hanging onto this pole in the middle of the river. You want to know how he was rescued, erm, well, erm, looks like you will have to read the book.

My favourite part of the book that you can watch in the film, would be either the melting of the Wicked Witch of the West, by water or the meeting of the Great and Terrible Oz.

Would i recommend it? Yes, a 6 year old will love the story and an 8 year old will love the characters.