Tin Woodsman of Oz

Rating:
Summary: great book
Review: Definitely one of the best books in the series. I reccomend it. The book keeps at a good pace and always keeps you interested. I loved it so much that when I read it, I read it in two days: I couldn't put the book down!

Rating:
Summary: A so-so Ozian effort
Review: Following "The Lost Princess of Oz," one of the best Oz books by L. Frank Baum (in my opinion) was not an easy task, and "The Tin Woodsman of Oz" didn't quite measure up. When a child called Woot the Wanderer (a bizarre mixture of Button-Bright and Ojo the unlucky) meets up with the Tin Woodsman and Scarecrow, the Woodsman gets to thinking about Nimee Amee, the Munchkin girl he was engaged to ages ago before the Wicked Witch enchanted his axe, resulting in the mishaps that led to him being tin. Realizing he's still technically engaged to her, he, the Scarecrow and Woot set off to find Nimee Amee and make her Empress of the Winkies (the Tin Woodsman himself being Emperor).

The big problem with this book is that it doesn't really add enough to the Oz mythos. While certainly the universe didn't really change or evolve much from book to book, most of the better titles either told a really amusing story or added new and interesting characters. The only new characters we really meet this time out are Woot, who is just like most of Baum's child characters, and the Nick Chopper-clone Tin Soldier. The story itself isn't really that engaging either, save for a welcome addition of Polychrome and a side-plot where the characters are transformed into animals. That plot is resolved quickly and easily, though, as are a lot of the vignettes in this book -- encounters with dragons, a jaguar and a straw-eating monster in an invisible country all end quickly without particularly progressing the story or doing anything but adding a few chapters.

It's not a terrible Oz book, but ultimately, it's rather forgettable. Baum did much better in his time.

Rating:
Summary: A wonderful adventure through the Land of Oz!
Review: In L. Frank Baum's twelfth Oz adventure, he takes you on a quest through the Land of Oz to answer the most puzzling secret of the Tin Woodman's past: what became of the pretty Munchkin girl who Nick Chopper fell in love with so many years ago?

Rating:
Summary: An Oz classic
Review: Like all of L. Frank Baum's Oz books, "The Tin Woodman of Oz" has an effortless sense of memorability about it which not all Oz authors have been able to attain. It raises more interesting philosophical problems about identity and the nature of love than do most of the Oz books, and is, like most of Baum's writing, gently humorous and optimistic about the world and human nature. Some of the plot twists in the latter part of the book, which concern the repercussions of Nick Chopper's transformation into a Tin Woodman, may be disturbing for some young readers; but the questions these events raise are fascinating and could lead children into interesting discussions with their parents about what makes a person himself. Books of Wonder's beautiful edition includes all of John R. Neill's illustrations, including the endpapers and the color plates; this is the only one of the "Famous Forty" Oz books to include illustrations of the Wicked Witch of the East, of the Tin Woodman's long-lost love Nimmie Amee, and of the Tin Woodman himself as he appeared when he was a normal "meat" man. All of Baum's books are children's classics, and "The Tin Woodman of Oz" is no exception.

Rating:
Summary: An Oz classic
Review: Like all of L. Frank Baum's Oz books, "The Tin Woodman of Oz" has an effortless sense of memorability about it which not all Oz authors have been able to attain. It raises more interesting philosophical problems about identity and the nature of love than do most of the Oz books, and is, like most of Baum's writing, gently humorous and optimistic about the world and human nature. Some of the plot twists in the latter part of the book, which concern the repercussions of Nick Chopper's transformation into a Tin Woodman, may be disturbing for some young readers; but the questions these events raise are fascinating and could lead children into interesting discussions with their parents about what makes a person himself. Books of Wonder's beautiful edition includes all of John R. Neill's illustrations, including the endpapers and the color plates; this is the only one of the "Famous Forty" Oz books to include illustrations of the Wicked Witch of the East, of the Tin Woodman's long-lost love Nimmie Amee, and of the Tin Woodman himself as he appeared when he was a normal "meat" man. All of Baum's books are children's classics, and "The Tin Woodman of Oz" is no exception.

Rating:
Summary: A wonderful adventure featuring 2 of the original characters
Review: This book has a little bit of everything for Oz fans. It focuses on two of the original characters from The Wizard of Oz (the Tin Man and the Scarecrow), introduces two wonderful new characters (Woot the Wanderer and the Tin Soldier) and reintroduces us to the lovely fairy Polychrome. And even though Dorothy and Ozma don't feature in this book, they do appear in the middle to help the heroes out of trouble. As typical of Baum, this book features a quest, as the Tin Man decides that he must marry the Munchkin girl that he left behind when he became rusted in the forest and eventually rescued by Dorothy and the Scarecrow. And while there is no villain chasing the travelers throughout the story, there is Mrs. Yoop the Giantess who captures them at one point and of course the land of Oz itself which throws them several curveballs, like making them invisible for a stretch.

Because there is no one villain this book doesn't remain as focused as many of Baum's books do, but that is part of its charm. We lazily get to explore the wonders of Oz along with our heroes, enjoying several amazing encounters and slowly learning the true history behind Nick Chopper's transformation from meat person to tin man. Because the plot and therefore the entire tone of this book are so casual, Baum makes it easy to become comfortable with the situations and the characters. Baum once again proves why his Oz books rank right up there with the best of the young adult fantasy books being published today. The Tin Woodman of Oz belongs right up there on your bookshelf with the Harry Potter books and King Fortis the Brave, all wonderful examples of how excellent children's literature can be.

Rating:
Summary: A wonderful adventure featuring 2 of the original characters
Review: This book has a little bit of everything for Oz fans. It focuses on two of the original characters from The Wizard of Oz (the Tin Man and the Scarecrow), introduces two wonderful new characters (Woot the Wanderer and the Tin Soldier) and reintroduces us to the lovely fairy Polychrome. And even though Dorothy and Ozma don't feature in this book, they do appear in the middle to help the heroes out of trouble. As typical of Baum, this book features a quest, as the Tin Man decides that he must marry the Munchkin girl that he left behind when he became rusted in the forest and eventually rescued by Dorothy and the Scarecrow. And while there is no villain chasing the travelers throughout the story, there is Mrs. Yoop the Giantess who captures them at one point and of course the land of Oz itself which throws them several curveballs, like making them invisible for a stretch.

Because there is no one villain this book doesn't remain as focused as many of Baum's books do, but that is part of its charm. We lazily get to explore the wonders of Oz along with our heroes, enjoying several amazing encounters and slowly learning the true history behind Nick Chopper's transformation from meat person to tin man. Because the plot and therefore the entire tone of this book are so casual, Baum makes it easy to become comfortable with the situations and the characters. Baum once again proves why his Oz books rank right up there with the best of the young adult fantasy books being published today. The Tin Woodman of Oz belongs right up there on your bookshelf with the Harry Potter books and King Fortis the Brave, all wonderful examples of how excellent children's literature can be.

Rating:
Summary: A definate for any Oz fan
Review: This book is great. If you never knew how the Tin Woodman became who he is, or want to know what has changed since he left the woods, read this book. It captures what kind of relationship he had with his girlfriend before the Witch cursed his axe and he became the Tin Man that we all know him as and love dearly.