Quick – what do you picture when I say The Wizard of Oz? Judy Garland skipping down the yellow brick road with her ruby slippers sparkling in the sunlight? The Wicked Witch towering over Dorothy and Toto, shrieking, “I’ll get you, my pretty! And your little dog too!” The saturated sepia tones of the Kansas plains, with Dorothy leaning against her haybale soulfully/woefully singing “Over the Rainbow?” (In my opinion, one of the greatest movie scenes of all time.)

Ninety-nine percent of us will instantly think of the movie. And with good reason. The 1939 cinematic masterpiece still continues to amaze, thrill, and inspire children and adults today. That timeless message of ‘there’s no place like home’ resonates with our imaginations today as much as it did at the movie’s premieres. I have NEVER watched the last scene without reciting it word for word with Dorothy. Oh, Auntie Em, there’s no place like home!

But by just focusing on the movie, you miss the fantasy and magic of L. Frank Baum’s novel. Published in 1900 (Yes, one hundred and twenty-three years ago), the original book contains characters and events that were not in the movie. A complete village and its inhabitants made of porcelain. The wicked witch being a one-eyed cyclops! The Cowardly Lion killing a giant evil spider. A race of mean, horrid creatures called Hammerheads. An Emerald City that isn’t green! And ruby slippers that are… silver?

Lots of today’s children’s stories or television shows could do themselves a favor by rereading The Wizard of Oz. Friendship, teamwork, adventure, understanding what you are truly capable of and what makes you happy… Baum takes common fairy tale themes and weaves a fantastical story that stands the test of time. We could all learn so much by strolling down that yellow brick road with Dorothy Gale, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion. And Toto too!

From Amazon: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is an American children’s novel originally published in 1900. It is often reprinted under the title The Wizard of Oz which was also the title of the famous 1939 movie adaptation. The story chronicles the adventures of a young farm girl named Dorothy in the magical Land of Oz after she and her pet dog Toto are swept away from their Kansas home by a tornado. The book is one of the best-known stories in American literature and has been widely translated. The author followed it up with thirteen additional Oz books.