The Wonder City of Oz facts for kids
Cover of The Wonder City of Oz
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| Author | John R. Neill |
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| Illustrator | John R. Neill |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | The Oz Books |
| Genre | Children's novel Fantasy |
| Publisher | Reilly & Lee |
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Publication date
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1940 |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover) |
| Pages | 318 pp. |
| Preceded by | Ozoplaning with the Wizard of Oz |
| Followed by | The Scalawagons of Oz |
The Wonder City of Oz is a fantasy book from 1940. It's the 34th book in the famous Oz series. This book is special because it was the first one completely written and drawn by John R. Neill.
Contents
What's New in Oz?
In The Wonder City of Oz, John R. Neill brought a fresh style to the Oz books. His stories are full of wild and creative ideas. The Emerald City in his books has tall skyscrapers and even gas stations. Everyday objects come to life in surprising ways. Houses can talk and even argue. Shoes might sing, and clocks can run around!
The Story of Jenny Jump
Jenny's Arrival in Oz
The story begins with a girl named Jenny Jump. She catches a leprechaun named Siko Pompus. Jenny makes him promise to turn her into a fairy. But Siko Pompus only finishes half the job before he escapes!
With her new, half-fairy powers, Jenny jumps to the magical Land of Oz. She lands right inside Princess Ozma's carriage during a big parade. Jenny quickly tells everyone that she wants to be a queen herself.
Jenny's Personality and Powers
Jenny is a very bold and strong-willed girl. When she gets angry, she can even breathe fire! But she is also clever and good at finding solutions. Soon, she opens a "Style Shop." It has a magic turnstile that gives people amazing fashion makeovers.
Jenny also takes in a Munchkin boy named Number Nine. He is the ninth of fourteen children. Jenny is so strong-willed that Number Nine often feels overwhelmed by her.
Challenges in the Emerald City
Jenny's actions quickly cause some trouble in Oz. The Wizard decides to remove her fairy powers. He also starts making her younger.
Even with her tricky personality, Jenny has good moments. She saves the Emerald City from an army of chocolate soldiers! But her big dream of being a queen leads her to run against Ozma. This special election is called an Ozlection.
The Ozlection and Its Outcome
Everyone knows that Ozma would easily win a fair election. But a "landslide" victory could be dangerous in the Emerald City. So, Prof. Wogglebug creates a new way to vote. Citizens are weighed on scales to decide their votes.
In the end, the Ozlection is a perfect tie between Ozma and Jenny. Only one person has not voted yet: the leprechaun Siko Pompus. He tells Jenny he is her friend. Then, he steps forward to cast the deciding vote. He votes for Ozma! Siko Pompus says it's for Jenny's own good. He claims it will save her from a lot of responsibility.
Jenny's Transformation
Jenny is furious about the election results. She causes chaos in the city! She releases tigers from tiger-lilies and bulls from bullrushes. The Wizard uses his magic to fix things. He takes away Jenny's bad temper, envy, and ambition.
The Wizard even shows these faults as visible creatures. Her bad temper looks like a black wasp. Envy is a green snake, and ambition is a fat red toad. Jenny is very happy with this change. She feels "grand!"
Princess Ozma and Glinda make Jenny a Duchess of Oz. Now, Jenny is young and carefree. She becomes a perfect friend for Number Nine.
Jenny's Fairy Gifts Return
Finally, Jenny's leprechaun godfather gives her fairy gifts back. They are now in special objects. She gets an "ivory-handled eyeglass" for fairy sight. She also receives rose-colored gloves, a golden slipper, and thistle-down earmuffs. These items give her other fairy powers when she needs them.
Behind the Scenes
The part of the story about the "Ozlection" and voting with shoes was not written by John R. Neill. An editor added this section. This is why Neill did not draw pictures for these specific parts of the plot.
Real-World Connections
In a note to young readers, John R. Neill mentioned where he lived. He said his family lived in Flanders, New Jersey. He described it as being "on top of the Schooley Mountains." He also said the Jenny Jump Mountains were "right next to us." He thought these were "wonderful mountains for fairies to hide in." The Jenny Jump Mountain is a real place in New Jersey. It is part of the Jenny Jump State Forest.
