The Shaggy Man of Oz facts for kids
Cover of The Shaggy Man of Oz.
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| Author | Jack Snow |
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| Illustrator | Frank Kramer |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | The Oz Books |
| Genre | Fantasy |
| Publisher | Reilly & Lee |
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Publication date
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1949 |
| Media type | print (hardcover) |
| Preceded by | The Magical Mimics in Oz |
| Followed by | The Hidden Valley of Oz |
The Shaggy Man of Oz is a fantasy book published in 1949. It is the thirty-eighth book in the famous Oz series, which was started by L. Frank Baum. This book was written by Jack Snow, and it was his second and last Oz story. Frank G. Kramer drew the pictures for the book.
This book is now in the public domain in the United States. This means its copyright was not renewed, so anyone can now share or use the story freely.
Jack Snow wanted to keep the spirit of L. Frank Baum's original Oz books. He did not use characters or ideas from other writers who had continued the Oz series before him.
Contents
Inspired by Other Oz Adventures
For The Shaggy Man of Oz, Jack Snow got many ideas from an earlier book by L. Frank Baum called John Dough and the Cherub (1906).
Both books feature heroes who escape from strange, risky places using a flying machine. They then travel to other lands where they also need to find a way out. For example, Baum had a "Palace of Romance," and Snow created a "Valley of Romance." In both stories, the heroes meet the King of the Fairy Beavers, who helps them reach their final goal.
Oz Gets Modern!
Even though Snow used older Oz books for inspiration, he also wanted to make his story feel new. His first Oz book, released after World War II, didn't sell very well. People felt that Oz books seemed "old fashioned" compared to new ideas like rockets and atomic bombs.
So, The Shaggy Man of Oz includes more modern things. The main child characters are an American boy and girl. Their dad is a physics professor who even has an early television set with a huge screen! Also, a magician in the story, Conjo, has an aircraft that flies using "anti-gravity plates," not just magic.
The Story of the Shaggy Man
The story begins with twins named Abbadiah and Zebbidiah Jones, but everyone calls them Twink and Tom. They live in Buffalo, New York. The twins love watching cowboy shows on their family's special TV, which has a giant screen their dad built.
One day, the TV picture changes. It shows a beautiful castle scene. Then, a living toy clown appears on the screen! This clown looks just like their own toy, Twoffle, but he calls himself Twiffle. Twiffle convinces Twink and Tom to walk right into the TV screen. Suddenly, they are magically transported into the castle scene!
Twiffle explains that he is a cousin of their toy, Twoffle. He works for a magician named Conjo on Conjo's island in the Nonestic Ocean. They are heading to Conjo's castle.
Meanwhile, in the Emerald City in Oz, something important has happened. The love magnet, a special charm that makes people feel friendly, has fallen and broken. Princess Ozma and the Shaggy Man realize that only Conjo, who made the magnet, can fix it.
Using the Magic Picture, Ozma and Shaggy Man see Twink and Tom approaching Conjo's castle. Surprised to see human children, Ozma sends Shaggy Man to investigate. She gives him a magic compass that can bring him back to Oz anytime. Ozma herself is busy with Glinda working on powerful magic.
Ozma uses her Magic Belt to send Shaggy Man to the island. He surprises Twink, Tom, and Twiffle by suddenly appearing. The four of them go to meet Conjo, who is a short, fat, bald, and untrustworthy magician. Conjo agrees to fix the love magnet, but he wants Shaggy Man's magic compass as payment.
The visitors stay the night. But Shaggy Man wakes up and discovers Conjo has secretly returned the fixed love magnet, but has taken the magic compass! Twiffle explains that Conjo isn't truly evil, just "selfish, lazy, and foolishly vain." However, Conjo had tricked the twins to his island to steal their memories and make them his servants, which is quite mean!
Shaggy Man, Twink, Tom, and Twiffle escape from the island in Conjo's flying car, the Airmobile.
They fly to a sky country called Hightown, but they lose the Airmobile. They learn they can leave Hightown by simply walking down through the air because gravity doesn't work there! Next, they find the Valley of Romance. Here, they get stuck in a terrible amateur play. Shaggy Man and Twink are magically forced to act in the play. Tom and Twiffle manage to free them by showing the love magnet to the Valley's king and queen. In this story, the magnet has to be seen to work its magic.
Traveling again, the four meet the King of the Fairy Beavers. The King agrees to help them reach Oz if they invite him for a visit. Shaggy Man is happy to agree. The group and their beaver friends travel under the Deadly Desert through the Nome King's tunnel. They pass the invisible barrier that protects Oz and arrive!
But they arrive in the middle of a new problem! Conjo has used the magic compass to get to Oz. He has grabbed the Wizard's magic bag and locked himself in the Wizard's lab. Conjo wants to take over Oz! The Fairy Beaver King saves the day. He uses his water magic to squirt water from the Forbidden Fountain into Conjo's mouth. This makes Conjo lose his memory. Now harmless, Conjo is sent back to his island with Twiffle to be re-educated. Twink and Tom enjoy their stay in Oz before Ozma sends them safely home.
More Oz Adventures
Eric Shanower used Twink and Tom in his short story "Abby." He also mentions Jack Snow's book in his story.
