Ingpen’s lush new interpretation of one of the world’s most famous stories transports children to the magical kingdom of Oz. Ingpen captures all the memorable moments and characters of Baum’s beloved tale in his gorgeous illustrations. Reviews Baum’s classic is an eye-opener for those who know it only through countless viewings of the 1939 movie. While the basic plots are identical-Dorothy, Kansas, twister, Oz, Scarecrow, Tin Woodsman, Cowardly Lion, melted witch, clicking heels, return home-the novel is vastly simpler and waaayyy slower. The biggest disappointment is the Wicked Witch of the West. Deliciously evil on screen, the worst thing she does here is swat Dorothy with an umbrella. After receiving their brains, courage, etc., Dorothy and company have more strange adventures here, but they’re entirely forgettable. VERDICT Narrator Tara Sands does an accomplished job of channeling each character according to Baum’s descriptions, and this production will charm small children, but older kids and curious adults should stick to the film. Buy appropriately.-Mike Rogers, Babylon, NY Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. About the Author Robert Ingpen began studying illustration and book design at The Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. He was recently honored with Membership of the Order of Australia. In 1986 he was awarded the Hans Christian Andersen medal for his contribution to children’s literature. He lives in Anglesea, Australia.