Dorothy of Oz (book) facts for kids

Dorothy of Oz is a 1989 children's novel written by L. Frank Baum's great-grandson Roger S. Baum. The book details Dorothy Gale returning to the Land of Oz when a Jester has been using the wand of the Wicked Witch of the West (which also contained the ghost of the Wicked Witch of the West) to take over the Land of Oz. The book was adapted into a film called Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return in 2014 by Clarius Entertainment.

Plot summary

Several weeks after returning to Kansas from the Land of Oz, Dorothy Gale looks out of her bedroom window and sees a bright and beautiful rainbow on the horizon. She notices that the rainbow is approaching her and Toto as both of them run towards it. Dorothy starts to see Glinda the Good Witch, who tells Dorothy that she must return to Oz so that she can save the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion. Dorothy and Toto reclaim the silver shoes as they find a note from Glinda and Princess Ozma stating that the silver shoes can take her to the Land of Oz and back, for the Impassable Desert has taken away much of their power.

Dorothy and Toto arrive in the Land of Oz, where the items that Dorothy has in her pocket are a small mirror, a safety pin, a glass bottle, and four of Aunt Em's homemade oatmeal cookies. Dorothy and Toto were wondering which direction they should take when they encounter a molasses-covered owl named Wiser. Wiser tells Dorothy that she is in Gillikin Country and tells her to head to Candy County and ask the Great Royal Marshmallow that rules over Candy Country.

Arriving at Princess Gayelette's palace, Dorothy and Toto encounter the castle's Jester who welcomes them. The Jester tells them that Princess Gayelette and Prince Quelala have gone missing, adding that they disappeared during a party at the palace which had become haunted and points them in the direction of the castle. When Dorothy and Toto enter the palace, they find a wand that belonged to the Wicked Witch of the West lying on the table.

Dorothy reminds the Jester that jesters are supposed to make people happy, causing the Jester to freeze in his tracks as the Wicked Witch of the West's ghost urges the Jester to turn Dorothy into a china doll. The Jester gives up the wand as the Wicked Witch of the West's ghost fades away. Thus, the spell is broken and everyone is returned to normal. The Scarecrow, the Tin Man, the Cowardly Lion, and Toto rejoice now that the spell is broken. When the Cowardly Lion asks Dorothy on what she plans to do with the Wicked Witch of the West's wand, the Scarecrow and the Tin Man plan to keep the wand locked up in a case until they can give it to Glinda and Princess Ozma.

Dorothy and Toto return to Kansas where they reunite with Aunt Em and Uncle Henry. The four of them then see a rainbow in the twilight sky which Dorothy has not seen before. Dorothy knows that is must be Princess Ozma, Glinda, and the Wizard of Oz's way of saying goodbye to her. The rainbow shimmers over the prairie with all the bright and true colors of the Land of Oz.

Film adaptation

Summertime Entertainment (the family entertainment division of Alpine Pictures) has adapted the book into the film Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return, which was released in 2014. The film stars Lea Michele as Dorothy, Dan Aykroyd as the Scarecrow, Kelsey Grammer as the Tin Man, James Belushi as the Cowardly Lion, Bernadette Peters as Glinda the Good Witch, Martin Short as the Jester, Hugh Dancy as Marshal Mallow (who is exclusive to the film), Megan Hilty as the China Princess, Patrick Stewart as Tugg, and Oliver Platt as Wiser the Owl.