The Lost King of Oz (Oz (Thompson and others), #19)

By Ruth Plumly Thompson

Book Overview

Return to L. Frank Baum's wonderful world of Oz with this illustrated children's book series. Mombi, perhaps the wickedest witch in Oz history, sets out to find the legendary Lost King of Oz whom she enchanted many years before. Pajuka the Goose and Snip, a lively Gillikin boy, assist her--while Dorothy wishes her way to California and returns to Oz with a motion picture stunt dummy costumed as king. Snip is thrown down a well by Mombi, but rescues a tailor with magic ears from the underground city of Blankenberg. Kabumpo the Elegant Elephant carries the entire party to Emerald City, but a magic feather has lured Ozma, the Wizard, and the other Oz celebrities to the deserted kingdom of Morrow. Will the Lost King be found--and will he reclaim the throne of Oz from Ozma? Praise for the Oz series "Where the young stay young and the old grow young forever--these books are for readers of all ages." --Ray Bradbury "The land of Oz has managed to fascinate each new generation. . . . The Oz books continue to exert their spell . . . and those who read them] are often made what they were not--imaginative, tolerant, alert to wonders." --Gore Vidal "I was raised with the Oz books, and their enchantment, humor and excitement remain with me. They are still a joy and a treasure. I welcome this Oz revival." --Stephen R. Donaldson

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 034531588X
• ISBN13: 9780345315885
• Release Date: May 1985
• Publisher: Random House Worlds
• Length: 252 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.5" x 8.5"
• Age Range: 8 to 11 years
• Grade Range: Grades 3 to 6

Customer Reviews

An excellent Ozzy quest story

There are two aspects to this book that often cause consternation and debate in the Oz community. The first is that a talking goose is about to be cooked and eaten (although he is saved from this fate). The other occurs at the end, so I don't want to give it away, but let's just say it involves a punishment that many people consider unduly harsh and unnecessary. Aside from these things, though, it's hard to say anything against this book (although there is a character with the unfortunate name of "Humpy"). It is a well-written quest story, with the object of the quest being Ozma's long-lost father. The book includes visits to many exotic Ozian locales, and involves several interesting characters. Kabumpo makes an appearance, and Mombi reappears as a villain. Although she no longer has any real magical power, she still has plenty of tricks up her sleeve, mostly involving enhanced cooking ingredients. This is one of Thompson's best books, and makes for a very enjoyable read.

Oz never grows old

I liked this book a lot. Like all Oz books, it gets to be ridiculous at times, but still a lot of fun to read. I think this book was written better than many others that Ruth had done earlier. It tended to be less absurdity, and more geared to the telling of a good Oz story. It didn't have an ending where something really weird occurred to make everything all right. I enjoyed it a lot. It is a childs book, and that fact should not be forgotten, but it is a book to make everyone feel good when they are done reading it. I personally loved it.

I love Oz!

This book is very, VERY, good. I am a big fan of all Oz books, and this is definitely better than some. Only drawback is that the original Jno. R. Neill cover completely gives the ending away.