Rating: 
Summary: If it's not in here, it's not worth knowing!
Review: "The Wizard of Oz" and its sequels were books that I enjoyed in childhood, but had largely forgotten about as an adult. No more! This book recaptured my interest in Oz for good. You know this book is thick with information when the introduction runs over 100 pages, and the first page of the Oz story is accompanied by six pages of annotations! I learned so much about Baum, Denslow, and the psycho-social and political aspects of Oz from this book (as well as what politics are NOT involved!). This is not a book for children, but for those who can go back to their childhood down the Yellow Brick Road.
Rating:
Summary: If it's not in here, it's not worth knowing!
Review: "The Wizard of Oz" and its sequels were books that I enjoyed in childhood, but had largely forgotten about as an adult. No more! This book recaptured my interest in Oz for good. You know this book is thick with information when the introduction runs over 100 pages, and the first page of the Oz story is accompanied by six pages of annotations! I learned so much about Baum, Denslow, and the psycho-social and political aspects of Oz from this book (as well as what politics are NOT involved!). This is not a book for children, but for those who can go back to their childhood down the Yellow Brick Road.
Rating:
Summary: A labor of love
Review: Although I had seen "The Wizard of Oz" 1939 classic movie more than a dozen times, I had somehow managed to make it through 41 years on this fine planet without reading the original L. Frank Baum "Wonderful Wizard of Oz" book. However, after reading "Wicked" by Gregory Maguire, which completely re-imagines Baum's creation, I became very curious to go back to the original and actually read it. The library had a number of choices available, but when I saw the gorgeous Centennial Edition "Annotated Wizard of Oz," I knew this was the one for me. And I was not disappointed!
What Michael Patrick Hearn has created here has got to be one of the best annotated books I've ever come across (up there with Douglas Anderson's "The Annotated Hobbit"), a true labor of love. If you're interested in L. Frank Baum's life, this book is definitely for you. And if you're interested in articulate, insightful explanations of Baum's "Wizard of Oz" world, this is also the book for you. Finally, if you are interested in the cultural and literary significance of "The Wizard of Oz," once agin, "The Annotated Wizard of Oz" by Michael Patrick Hearn is definitely the book for you. Beautifully illustrated, including W.W. Denslow's original color plates and the exact text of the 1900 Baum "Wonderful Wizard of Oz" book, this is a tremendous hundredth anniversary tribute to Baum and to all the characters from the world of Oz. I strongly recommend this book!
Rating: 
Summary: A nice edition
Review: Annotation can be annoying, so I wanted to see this book in person before I bought it. I find that the notes don't interfere much with the text, the introduction is interesting, and the images are pleasing to the eye. Even the cover is well-done.
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Summary: Amazon - no slipcover?
Review: Beautiful book. But one of the reviewer mentioned that he was missing the slipcover. I also ordered mine from Amazon and it too did not come with an embossed slipcover. I'm also wondering if all the other Norton Annotated selections came with a slipcover. Does anyone have any info?
Rating:
Summary: What an incredible book!
Review: How many books come into your house only to be fought over by parents and children alike? There is something for everyone here - pictures, in-depth stories behind all the books and the film, original book cover photos, beautiful hard-cover, etc. The research was extensive and interesting: this is one collector's item which sprung forth as a true labor of love and not with grand visions of profit - you should not miss.
Rating:
Summary: If you don't have a copy of Wizard of Oz, THIS IS THE ONE!
Review: I believe the Wizard of Oz is one of the greatest children's novels ever written. It has fantasy, horror, beauty and fun characters, but it also has some wise comments about life. (The scene where Dorothy unmasks the Wizard as a fraud and they chat about life back home and his life in Oz is one of the most touching conversations in children's literature. When the Wizard floats off and abandons Dorothy, we feel, as she must, the pain of disappointment.) If you are reading to your children, this book is a top choice. Kids who are read to become better readers. And what can be more quality time that hearing the loving voice of a mom or dad or even elder sibling, reading an exciting tale? The centennial edition has 70 pages of biographical information about Baum, info on the entire Oz series (it's quite a number of books), a section about W. W. Denslow's beloved illustrations and much more. This makes the book not only a great family gift but also a good present for a child to treasure for his or her entire life. I still have my copy of Wizard of Oz, complete with a torn page (the pretty picture of Glynda on her throne), a souvenir of my baby sister (oh well) and I would NEVER part from it. This is a gorgeous edition and should be a top choice for your shelf of good children's literature.
Rating:
Summary: Wowie!
Review: I don't need to tell you about the Wizard of Oz - you already know the story. What is amazing about this edition is that the original story is completely reprinted in it's original form. That means that all of the illustrations are included with the text arranged exactly as it should be, something that almost no edition has done correctly. Believe it or not, it makes a difference. The text makes a bit more sense, as the illustrations are integral to the text. The illustrations actually flow INTO the text! It's hard to describe, really, but there is an interaction. This book was a collaborative effort between Baum and Denslow, who split the profits evenly. Okay, so that's it for the actual story. The forward gives a brief but very readable biography of Baum, and the annotations are also quite good. There are a number of color pictures of rare Oz Ephemera, and many good black and white pictures of film and stage productions as well. The type is clearly set, making this book very easy to read. The only faults with this book are that it's a bit heavy for casual reading, and the annotation sometimes severely impact the flow of the story. These faults are easily overlooked when the material is so good! If you've ever read this story and thought that it was merely okay, you really should read a good version such as this, it will change your preception radically! Enjoy!
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Summary: One of the best analysis studies on Wizard
Review: I received this book as a Christmas gift and have found it very interesting. To be honest, I didn't think I would like it for having seen the film a million times and having read most of the Baum Oz books, I thought that this was an interest in my life that I was way past being over. However, I learned a lot of interesting little tidbits both about the books and the movie. I also liked the philosophical, psychological and sociological viewpoints about certain aspects of the plot of the Wizard of Oz. Very informative and extensive.
Rating:
Summary: the wonderful world of oz
Review: I think that this is an awsome book!! It has all the adventure that you need as a child. It is really good!!
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