The Road to Oz

August 25, 2008
Krull (Hillary Rodham Clinton
) turns to the frequently failing but resilient man behind the 1900 classic, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
. Her very readable account begins with Lyman Frank Baum’s privileged childhood in a wealthy family and continues through his many attempted careers, such as chicken breeder, newspaper editor and window dresser. “Bad luck, bad planning, too much ambition, too much risk... ('Will he ever amount to anything?’ some people whispered).” The chatty narrative paints a well-rounded, occasionally irreverent portrait of Baum as a plucky, earnest entrepreneur and doting family man who loved telling stories to his four sons. Numerous parenthetical asides interject well-researched tidbits, such as jokes Baum recycled in his Aberdeen (Dakota Territory) newspaper. Hawke’s (Library Lion
) jaunty acrylics fit Baum’s optimistic spirit, while vignettes drawn in green highlight some of Baum’s inspirations, e.g., drawings of the Tin Man accompany a passage about how the writer once made an all-metal dummy for a hardware store window. A detailed author’s note rounds out this cheeky yet informative biography. Ages 8–12.

September 1, 2008
Gr 1-4-Fans of "The Wizard of Oz" will find plenty of enchantment in this thoughtful, brightly illustrated narrative. From his childhood at his parents' estate, with its "rosebushes in glimmering-jewel colors," to his various careers as journalist, playwright, chicken expert, window dresser (including his creative display of hardware fashioned into a tin man), store owner, newspaper editor, and family storyteller, Krull magically interweaves the origins of Baum's characters and themes that would appear in his "modern American fairy tales." The "Oz" books were his only true success, but they did not result in a fairy-tale ending for the Baum family. With sympathy for her subject, Krull tactfully notes Baum's lack of aptitude for business affairs and his eventual declaration of bankruptcy. Hawkes's merry paintings of the author and his characters invoke the magic of Oz within the great author's real-world setting. "The Road to Oz" will provide students with an inspiring introduction to Baum's life."Jayne Damron, Farmington Community Library, MI"

Copyright 2008 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2008
Despite the enduring popularity of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, there are few titles about L. Frank Baum published for youth. Krulls new picture-book biography, then, is particularly welcome, and it displaysKrulls usual stylisticstrengths: a conversational tone, well-integrated facts, vivid anecdotes, and sly asides that encourage children to find the human qualities in a historical figure. Beginning with Baums pampered youth, Krull moves forward through his early adult years, when he flailed in a variety of jobs before finally writing his famous first book about Oz, which he based on bedtime stories hecreated for his children. Krull gives a balanced account, emphasizing Baums creative gifts and his talents for nurturing his family while frankly referencing his less-admirable traits, such as his prejudice against Native Americans. Hawkes ink-and-acrylic illustrations are uneven, with some figures appearing blurred and hurriedly rendered, but the brightly colored compositions do support the sense of Baum as a multifaceted, fascinating individual. An authors note, sources, and a list of Baumsworks conclude this entertaining, lively portrait.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2009
Krull's narrative follows Baum's career changes before his bestselling novel was published in 1900. Illustrations include visual prefigurations as Baum bicycles past poppies and watches Midwesterners fight a stiff wind; Hawkes decorates text pages with line art patterned after W. W. Denslow. In all, an entertaining look at how a peripatetic man in a rapidly changing society produced a lasting fantasy tale. Bib.

(Copyright 2009 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

September 1, 2008
Krull (The Boy on Fairfield Street, rev. 1/04) offers the first picture-book biography of L. Frank Baum, author of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Her narrative follows Baum's career changes -- actor, salesman, shopkeeper, journalist -- before his bestselling novel in 1900. Along the way, we see his inspirations for the Scarecrow, Tin Woodman, Emerald City, and other elements of Oz. Hawkes adds visual prefigurations as Baum bicycles past poppies and watches Midwesterners fight a stiff wind. Hawkes takes care to show Baum writing left-handed and decorates text pages with line art patterned after that of Oz illustrator W. W. Denslow. Though Baum's financial ups and downs before Oz offer dramatic "bumps," that may not be the most appropriate structure for his life story. He actually became a bestselling author in 1899 with Father Goose, which the text never mentions, and only the "storyteller's note" acknowledges that Oz's triumph did not keep Baum from bankruptcy in 1911. 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.

(Copyright 2008 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)