The Bashful Baker of Oz

Marcus Mébes should be a familiar name to Oz fans, and if he isn't, then they're obviously not living right. He was the production designer for just about all of the International Wizard of Oz Club's publications for awhile, and still works with them.

He's also written a few Oz stories of his own. One of them is The Bashful Baker of Oz, originally a short story in Oziana, now a 50-page Oz book of its own.

The story peeks into the life of Maria, a young baker who lives in Crafton, a place where everyone uses their talents for the community. Maria's is baking. As the title suggests, she's a shy girl.

However, she has a friend in Lord Luka, a friend of Ozma's. He encourages her to go to the Emerald City and leave Crafton behind. Finally, one day, feeling that she is being overlooked in favor of her talents, Maria goes to the Emerald City. But will she find everything exactly as Luka promised her?

Marcus mainly deals with his own new characters, but when a classic Oz character appears, they match the pre-established characterizations. Marcus writes with a style that is upbeat and lively. This brings a welcome volt of energy to Oz.

I only have two complaints about The Bashful Baker of Oz. For some reason, the third and fourth chapters have the same title. Not sure if that was a typo or anything. The other is that the story ends on page 50. It's a bit short, especially carrying a book on its own.

But anyways, I'd recommend it for anyone who just wants to read a good Oz story.