The Tin Woodman of Oz: A Faithful Story of the Astonishing Adventure Undertaken by the Tin Woodman, Assisted by Woot the Wanderer, the Scarecrow of Oz, and Polychrome, the Rainbow's Daughter

The Winthrope facsimile reproductions of the original Oz books by L. Frank Baum, available through subscription to the Bradford Exchange, have been criticized by Oz collectors as inferior to the Books of Wonder reproductions of the Oz books, particularly with regard to the quality of the color illustrations or the line drawings (in Ozma of Oz, Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz, and Road to Oz, for instance). The Winthrope Tin Woodman of Oz, however, is beautifully produced in every respect--like several other books in the Winthrope series, in fact (notably The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Emerald City of Oz, Tik-Tok of Oz, Lost Princess of Oz, Magic of Oz)--with excellent reproductions of the color plates and the cover paste-down; clean, clear type; and high-quality paper.

I read this book to my son over the course of a couple of weeks (a chapter a night) and we both enjoyed it. The story is a journey, as usual, in which the chief characters overcome a number of obstacles prior to returning to Oz for a happy conclusion. The chief motivator is Woot the Wanderer, a munchkin boy who helps convince the Tin Woodman and the Scarecrow to make a journey to the Woodman's old sweetheart and make amends for abandoning her by accident in the original book (he rusted, you know). The journey takes them into a shape-shifting confrontation with a mysterious giantess, brings them into contact new and unusual animals in the wild, introduces the Woodman's romantic rival (and fellow Tin Man), and resolves itself in an interesting manner when both Tin Men meet the object of their former affections.Having read all but Frank Baum's final Oz book, I can say that the Tin Woodman is one of my favorites and easily the best in the series since the Patchwork Girl. The plot structure is very clear and Baum's usual lessons on simple morals and honor fit well within the context of the book, especially those regarding faithfulness and honor. Most interestingly, he tackles a fairly complicated philosophical question towards the end of the book - what is man, what part makes him a man, and how does he retain his identity if those parts leave him? Even if your children won't pick up on that slight complication, they will enjoy the rest of the story.

One of 14 facsimile books made in the great tradition that is L. Frank Baum and his Oz canon.

This is a great bedtime reading book for a younger child. The story moves along at a good clip, the characters are interesting and weird, the language used is within the range of kids as young as four, there are lots of really nice illustrations, and the book is a high quality product (hardback with dust jacket). The book is also fairly long, so the story can play itself out over days or weeks (assuming you read one chapter per night). This is the sort of book your kid will keep and pass on to their children.

And yet another quest, as Tin Woodman & Scarecrow are joined by others in their search of Nimmie Amee, the Tin Woodman’s jilted girlfriend. It’s a lengthy journey with many brief encounters with new characters who aren’t given any time to make an impression. As a result, the story needed to be padded, especially considering the premise takes but a sentence to explain…they were looking for Nimmie Amee.

Classic Oz, easy to read and interesting to the young and not to young!

Beautiful edition

What's not to love...best choice for newer versions of the OZ books because the original illustrations are included.