Following a severe earthquake in California, Dorothy Gale and her cousin Zeb fall into a fissure in the earth, landing in the subterranean Land of the Mangaboos. Accompanied by the horse Jim and nine tiny piglets, they eventually reunite with the Wizard of Oz, who has arrived in the underground realm via his own hot air balloon. The group travels through various hidden territories, including the Valley of Voe and the Pyramid Mountain, facing physical threats from invisible people and wooden gargoyles. Their trek concludes in the Emerald City, where Princess Ozma intervenes to bring them to safety.
This story serves readers interested in the expanded geography and whimsical laws of Baum’s secondary world. Children and young adult audiences read it for the episodic encounters with unusual biological lifeforms and the mechanical logic of the Oz series. Readers finish the book with a clearer understanding of the Wizard’s backstory as a stage magician and a detailed view of the social hierarchies and judicial systems that govern the different regions within the fairy kingdom.
Practical, outward-looking, clear-cut and escapist; an easy read.
Best for readers like The Curious Generalist. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 1908
- Language
- EN
