"Every new generation of children is enthralled by the famous stories in our Well Loved Tales series. Younger ones love to have the story read to them. Older children will enjoy the exciting stories in an easy-to-read text."
Ladybird books are known for making classic stories accessible to little children learning to read and "Wizard of Oz" is happily one of them. But it hasn't been told just once, nor twice . . . but three times!
I will be reviewing the one that is closest to the Baum/Denslow version, which is illustrated by Angus McBride and retold by Joan Collins.
Out of the three versions of the book's retelling, this is definitely the best and most faithful version. But there are two different versions and naturally it comes down to what is condensed (visually and written) as well as the packaging, like so:
(Left) At first, the story was printed under the aforementioned "Well Loved Tales" banner, printed on a smooth paper surface and retold the original story, with illustrations following the Denslow designs (while also looking new). It also has some chapter titles, the endpapers at both front and back show an elaborately-illustrated tree with other famous/classic fairy-tales, possibly in the same series.
This edition also includes the above quote at the top of this Post.
The pages are numbered 4-51 and the Chapters included (without numbers or new page settings):
- THE GREAT WHIRLWIND (pg 4)
- DOROTHY MEETS THE MUNCHKINS (6)
- HOW DOROTHY SAVED THE SCARECROW (10)
- THE RESCUE OF THE TIN WOODMAN (14)
- THE COWARDLY LION (17)
- THE JOURNEY TO SEE THE WIZARD (20)
- OVER THE RIVER (22)
- THE GUARDIAN OF THE GATE (23)
- THE WONDERFUL EMERALD CITY OF OZ (26)
- DOROTHY'S FRIENDS SEE THE WIZARD (30)
- THE SEARCH FOR THE WICKED WITCH (32)
- THE RETURN TO THE EMERALD CITY (39)
- THE MAGIC HUMBUG KEEPS HIS PROMISE (43)
- AWAY TO THE SOUTH (47)
The book includes much of the dialogue and occasionally some descriptions or phrases from the original novel, but it also states how the Good Witches are sisters (like
The Wiz), it briefly mentions how the Tin Woodman came to be (the faster "magic" way), the Lion does carry them over the first ditch and they cross the second ditch by a chopped tree, but there are no Kalidahs. The Scarecrow does not get stuck on the pole as they cross the river and the whole Poppy Field scenario is left out (as well as the Green Family). Dorothy is given a green dress before meeting OZ and her friends see him the next day. The Wicked Witch of the West's wolves, crows and "fierce black" bees fail so the Winged Monkeys are given their final command, Lion is spared and Dorothy's magic kiss from the Good Witch of the North protects her and Toto. Naturally the origin of the Golden Cap is left out. After the Humbug's balloon accidentally leaves behind Dorothy, they have the Winged Monkeys take them to Glinda's palace, who does agree to help Dorothy but will also use the Golden Cap to return her friends to their kingdoms (the Lion who reveals "the Beasts of the Forest have asked me to be their King!" - but this is not established) and free the Winged Monkeys by giving them the Cap. There is no proper good-bye between friends, but the Silver Shoes do fall off and disappear when Dorothy and Toto have returned to Aunt Em.
(Right) When the book was reprinted under the actual "Ladybird" banner, it was even shorter. The pictures were reused, but now were printed on a glossier type of paper that showed the illustrations' detail more properly and better (even the tint or shade of the colour is a bit more vibrant). However, only HALF of the illustrations were reprinted and even a few of them were cropped (as you can see in the comparison scans).
You can also see how on the cover Dorothy has been moved further ahead of her friends, or zoomed in on, while also some possible touch ups to Scarecrow's legs and where Toto would be barely glimpsed (it also unflatteringly exposes the detail in colouring Dorothy). The endpapers now have the red background with black polka dots (representing the ladybird bug) with a "belongs to" page and the retelling has now been done by Audrey Daly. No chapter titles, no page numbering.
The story has been simplified very much, especially by removing the details, dialogue, descriptions and such from before. After Lion appears and is scolded, the journey to the Emerald City is accomplished with nothing other than "soon they were all good friends" and the text, now being heavily abridged, seems to imply that Dorothy and Scarecrow meet an Unrested Tin Woodman, the Wolves were successful in capturing Dorothy (and that is the only illustration of WWW included, with her Wolves), OZ is a humbug but not from "near Kansas" (as mentioned before), NOR is there any scene involving the balloon or how the friends got to Glinda's. But they still say what will become of Dorothy's friends. Here the abridged DOES mention Dorothy saying good-bye "I will never forget you" to her friends, while the loss of the Shoes is shown visually.
As mentioned before, half of the illustrations are reused here on nicer paper, but others are left out. Actually the pictures can be divided into three sections:
* Reprinted in their entirety =
* Reprinted but cropped in some form (e.g. removing background colouring) =
* Abandoned/Left-Out =
A few pictures, now printed on glossy paper, are also a bit brighter and can make out a few little details otherwise unnoticed before (like Toto's smile when Dorothy frees Scarecrow). The one pic of the friends tree-crossing the *second* ditch has been moved to their way to the West, another manipulative assumption.
You can see the changes, both in print quality and editorial, below:
(For the pictures where the background colouring has been removed but the characters are left intact, that is something called "Instant Alpha" which can be seen in things such as Preview (Select tool), iPhoto, etc. Nifty little appliance . . . )
Both books include the illustration of OZ giving Lion a spoonful of courage on the page before the story begins and, on the back, a listing of other books in the series (but even this has been given the "Instant alpha" effect)
So here we have an excellently abridged edition of the Baum/Denslow Oz book adapted into a Ladybird learning to read book, also condensed even more to a state that's a slight improvement in quality but takes steps back in quantity and storytelling.
If you can find the "Well Loved" version on ebay (as I believe I did) get it while you can, as the other version is more available and therefore a slight step back.
Will I review the other Ladybird Wizard of Oz books? I don't know yet . . . but if I get enough responses or requests . . . Maybe.
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