Originally published in The Baum Bugle, vol. 64, no. 3 (Winter 2020), pg. 43
Citations
Chicago 17th ed.:
Kilgore, Garrett. Review of The Wizard of Oz (Penguin Bedtime Classics), Baum Bugle 64, no. 3 (2020): 43.
MLA 9th ed.:
Kilgore, Garrett. Review of The Wizard of Oz (Penguin Bedtime Classics), The Baum Bugle, vol. 64, no. 3, 2020, p. 43.
(Note: typographical errors have been left in place to accurately reflect the printed version.)
THE WIZARD OF OZ (PENGUIN BEDTIME CLASSICS). Based on the book by L. Frank Baum. Illustrated by Carly Gledhill. Viking, 2020. 18 pages. Board book, $7.99. ISBN: 9780593114759.
As a fan of the Oz books, I run up against the obstacle of how to pass on a love of Oz to kids who aren’t reading at the original books’ level—particularly children under age five. Finally, here is the perfect solution: a board book. While there have been other board book versions of The Wizard of Oz, they’ve focused primarily on colors or shapes rather than actually telling the story. Enter the Penguin Bedtime Classics series, which condenses classic children’s stories into read-aloud versions: a minute’s quick read, or—if you have a child who needs to hear it again and again, just one more time, please—five minutes at most.
The uncredited adaptation roughly follows the original book’s storyline in a similar vein as the Golden Book adaptation of the 1970s. There is nothing terribly original in the text, but the board book really shines thanks to the illustrations.
The pictures by British artist Carly Gledhill are bright, colorful, and modern. Much like Pete Bishop’s striking illustrations in a 1980s edition, this version eschews almost every cliché associated with the story, from Dorothy’s kicky silver boots to the fringe and pants of the Wicked Witch of the West (although she does have green skin).
Most notably, this is a diverse interpretation of Oz that accurately represents our world today. No more is Dorothy a girl with a pinafore and stockings; a contemporary child could see her on any playground across the country and instantly identify with her.
A sense of fun and play in the illustrations, from the vibrant color palette to a cow sadly stuck in a tree, brings the
story alive in a way that often doesn’t occur and that feels very Ozzy. For me, it’s a breath of fresh air in a story that
frequently feels like a museum piece, and I am all in for it.
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