The Emerald City of Oz facts for kids
First edition design
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| Author | L. Frank Baum |
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| Illustrator | John R. Neill |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | The Oz Books |
| Genre | Children's novel |
| Publisher | Reilly & Britton |
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Publication date
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1910 |
| Media type | Print (hardcover) |
| Preceded by | The Road to Oz |
| Followed by | The Patchwork Girl of Oz |
The Emerald City of Oz is the sixth book in the famous Land of Oz series by L. Frank Baum. It came out on July 20, 1910. This story is special because it's about Dorothy Gale and her Aunt Em and Uncle Henry moving to Oz forever!
While Dorothy shows her family around Oz, the evil Nome King is secretly gathering armies to attack Oz. This book was the first time Baum used two main storylines at once.
L. Frank Baum actually planned to stop writing Oz books after this one. But he needed more money, so he wrote The Patchwork Girl of Oz and seven more Oz books after that. The book was dedicated to his niece, Cynthia II.
What Happens in the Story
At the start of the story, Dorothy Gale often tells her Aunt Em and Uncle Henry about her amazing adventures in the Land of Oz. Her aunt and uncle don't believe her. They think she just dreams a lot, like her mother did. But Dorothy doesn't give up.
Later, Dorothy learns that a tornado destroyed their farm in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. This left Uncle Henry with a huge debt. He had to borrow money using their farm as a guarantee. If he couldn't pay it back, they would lose their home. Uncle Henry and Aunt Em were very worried about Dorothy's future.
Dorothy quickly talks to Princess Ozma of Oz. She arranges for her aunt and uncle to come live in Oz. There, they would be happy and safe forever. Ozma uses her special Magic Belt to bring them to her throne room. They get beautiful rooms and many wonderful things. They also meet Dorothy's old friends, like the Cowardly Lion and Billina the Yellow Hen.
Meanwhile, deep underground in the Nome Kingdom, the Nome King Roquat is planning something bad. He wants to conquer the Land of Oz and get his magic belt back. Dorothy took it from him in Ozma of Oz. The King's General and Colonel refuse to attack Oz. So, the King sends them away. He then talks to a brave soldier named Guph. Guph thinks the Nome Army can't win alone against Oz's many magicians. So, he sets out to find allies.
Dorothy, the Wizard of Oz, and other friends leave the Emerald City. They ride in a carriage pulled by the Wooden Sawhorse. They want to show Aunt Em and Uncle Henry around the land. They meet many new and interesting people:
- Living paper dolls made by Miss Cuttenclip.
- Jigsaw puzzles called the Fuddles that can move and talk.
- The Rigmaroles, who talk a lot.
- The Flutterbudgets, who worry about everything.
- Living kitchen tools from Utensia.
- Talking pastries from Bunbury.
- Civilized rabbits from Bunnybury.
- A zebra who argues about maps with a soft-shell crab.
They also visit familiar friends like the Tin Woodman and the Scarecrow. They see the four main tribes of Oz: the Munchkins, the Quadlings, the Gillikins, and the Winkies.
The Nome General Guph visits three different groups to get help: the Whimsies, the Growleywogs, and the Phanfasms.
- The Whimsies are big and strong, but they have tiny heads. They wear huge masks to hide their small heads. Their Chief agrees to help, hoping the Nome King will use the Magic Belt to make their heads bigger.
- The Growleywogs are giant, muscular, and cruel. Their leader agrees to help if they get 20,000 slaves from Oz. They also secretly plan to take over the Nomes later.
- The Phanfasms of Phantastico are mysterious and scary. They look like hairy men with animal heads. Their leader, who has a bear head, agrees to help. They want to make people unhappy. They also have a secret plan to betray their allies and take control.
Princess Ozma learns about this invasion plan through her all-seeing Magic Picture. The people of Oz become very worried. The Nomes dig a long tunnel under the Deadly Desert to reach the Emerald City. Ozma uses her Magic Belt to make a lot of dust appear in the tunnel.
When the Nome King's allies come out of the dusty tunnel, they are very thirsty. They drink from the nearby Fountain of Oblivion. The water from this fountain makes them forget all their evil plans! The Nome King tries not to drink, but the Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman throw him into the fountain. He forgets everything too.
Ozma uses the magic belt to send the Nome King and his allies back home. To stop any future invasions, Glinda the Good Witch uses a special charm. This charm makes Oz invisible and unreachable to anyone outside the land. Only those already in Oz can find it.
Other Versions of the Story
The 1986 Japanese cartoon series Oz no Mahōtsukai included this story. Later, it was made shorter and released as a movie in the US.
In Pop Culture
In the 2004 movie Blade: Trinity, a character named Sommerfield reads a Braille copy of the book to her daughter Zoe. She describes the Nome King and how he was "never tried to be good." Later, Zoe meets the movie's villain, Drake, and at first thinks he might be the Nome King.
