This biography teaches about the life of L.Frank Baum beginning with his privileged childhood. The biography takes us through Baum's life showing us his creativity, willingness to take risks, and his immense priority in family. All of these things and more led Baum to publish the story that made him famous, "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz".
Bibliographic Citation:
Krull, K. (2008). The road to Oz: Twists, turns, bumps, and triumphs in the life of L. Frank Baum. New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf.
My Impression:
This biography was written very well, with detailed illustrations. The story showcases both positive and negative times in Baum's life, but does so in a way that is appropriate for the intended the audience. I enjoyed the illustrations a lot which were done by Kevin Hawkes, each drawing subtly featured an image from the story we all know so well as the text explained the relationship to Baum's life that each character had. I would say this biography is an excellent recommendation for younger readers, the text pages are primarily short blocks of writing with full pages of pictures to compare to and overall the biography is very thorough.
Reviews:
L. Frank Baum hated his first name--Layman--and let anybody who dared call him that know how much he disliked it. He was born into a wealthy and loving family, which led him to be a good husband and father, but not a practical man. He always had an interest in writing and started a family newsletter with his brother Harry. He tried his hand at many trades, but constantly was stolen from and duped by colleagues or employees. Always he came back to writing. Although he published a number of books, he had little success as a writer until he wrote and self-published The Wizard of Oz, with the financial help of the illustrator, William Wallace Denslow. But before “Oz” came out, he honed his writing skills by observing everything around him and telling bedtime stories to his children and their friends. He poured all this skill into the telling of Dorothy’s trip to Oz and became a grand success. But his long-suffering wife had learned to keep a tight hold on the family’s purse strings. The family eventually ended up with a mansion on many acres in California, where children flocked to hear Frank tell his stories. He wrote 13 “Oz” books, all with strong girls as main characters; true to his family’s belief in equal rights for women. The writing is upbeat and playful, making this biography fun to read, and the illustrations add to the playfulness. 2008, Borzoi Book/Alfred A. Knopf/Random House Children, $ 17.99. Ages 7 to 10.
Sarah Maury Swan (Children's Literature)
How to use this book in your library:
There are few people who don't know what "The Wizard of Oz" is, but there are many who have never read the story that the famous movie was based on. This biography would be a great bridge from the iconic movie the magical story behind it. Read this book allowed and then introduce the book.
No comments:
Post a Comment