I re-read The Wonderful Wizard of Oz for the February prompt of the Buzzwords reading channel (positive words; "wonderful), and decided to read this Usborne illustrated edition that I bought a while back.

Obviously the story itself is 5 stars for me, because I have a life-long Oz fixation, but 5 stars for this particular edition because it's so stunning. The illustrations by Lorena Alvarez Gomez are so bright and expressive, and feature really gorgeous interpretations of the characters. The pages are a thick, glossy paper to really make those colors pop, and it comes with a rich green bookmark ribbon.

It's a really special edition that isn't too big or too expensive that you feel you can't actually read it, but is still a wonderful keepsake that will look lovely on a shelf too. ( )

Come along, Toto, she said. We will go to the Emerald City and ask the Great Oz how to get back to Kansas again.
Swept away from her home in Kansas by a tornado, Dorothy and her dog Toto find themselves stranded in the fantastical Land of Oz. As instructed by the Good Witch of the North and the Munchkins, Dorothy sets off on the yellow brick road to try and find her way to the Emerald City and the Wizard of Oz, who can help her get home. With her companions the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman and the Cowardly Lion, Dorothy experiences an adventure full of friendship, magic and danger. A much-loved children's classic, The Wizard of Oz continues to delight readers young and old with its enchanting tale of witches, flying monkeys and silver shoes. ( )

I'm so happy to have finally read the original. It prompted a great discussion about the author - how one's biography gets complicated - at book club. ( )

How come i don't hear Joss Wheadon talking all the time about how the buffy series was obviously based on the Wizard of Oz? ( )

I can't believe I never read this before! It was super violent and strange, but I liked it. Sadly, it did not hold the attention of my 7yo who prefers the movie. We listened to the audiobook narrated by Brooke Shields and her narration wasn't my favorite. She gave a lot of characters very goofy voices. ( )