The Patchwork Girl of Oz - L. Frank Baum

Mini Review Time!

This is a fairly short book intended for children set in the fantasy world of Oz, and is the seventh in the Oz series. It follows the adventures of a young munchkin named Ojo as he goes on a quest to save his Unc Nunkie from being a statue forever, following a terrible accident involving a crooked magician and some Liquid of Petrifaction. Scraps, a patchwork girl, and Bungle, a glass cat, both brought to life with the magician's powder of life (seen in The Marvelous Land of Oz) accompany him along his journey to find ingredients for the magician in order to bring his uncle back. Along the way he picks up a few more travelling companions, a few of which we have already met.

This is a nice little book, but since it is quite old, I find the writing style quite tiring to read, and therefore what should be a few quick book tends to get extended and a little boring. However, this one was more enjoyable to read than some of the others, and I was interested in whether the boy would succeed in his quest. In many of the Oz books, it seems that there is one mini-adventure after another, and in this book it was very much the same, only it had an overall goal, which I found much easier to digest than the previous two books.

A nice little book that imaginative children will love being read to them. 6 out of 10.

Top Ten Tuesday #2 - Fantasy Places I'd like to Experience

Top Ten Tuesday is a Meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish where I will be picking from their top tens and attempting to reveal what my thinking is behind these choices

Top Ten Fantasy Places I'd like to Experience:

1. Gallifrey
Home planet of the Time Lords, and the most beautiful place in the galaxy, before it was destroyed in the Time War... or not. What good fan-girl wouldn't wan't to go there?

2. Asgard
Mythical land of Norse Gods, home of Thor, Loki and Odin. Looks like a big shining city sitting on top of clouds and has a really nice-looking rainbow bridge. I'd love to go there and hang with the Asgardians.

3. Camelot
The legendary castle of King Arthur has been depicted in so many films, books and TV series, but I want to see how it really would have been.

4. Inkworld
Cornelia Funke's imaginary book-world certainly grabs your attention. Whether you're having a meeting with Dustfinger or a confrontation with Basta, you'd never be short of amusement or danger, but it sure sounds beautiful.

5. Rivendell / Ellesmera / Greenwood (before it got Mirkwoodified)
Anywhere were the elves live sounds like a nice place to me, and whether they belong in the Inheritance cycle or The Lord of the Rings really doesn't make a huge difference. Bring on the beautiful woodland realms and the idyllic peace.

6. Westeros
This Game of Thrones land is rife with danger, but wouldn't you love to see it? The beauty of Highgarden, the desolate mountain of the Eyrie, the silent rock of Dragonstone and the splendour of King's Landing are something that every reader /watcher of this series would want to visit for themselves.

7. Oz
Nothing says holiday like the bright, happy fairyland of Oz, with its girl ruler and its cute little munchkins. Yes, there may be a few witches and trolls lurking about, but every now and again they are killed or thwarted, so they aren't too much of a bother. You can go off here and have adventures any time you like.

8. Wonderland
The fantastical world of Wonderland isn't one you'd want to stay in for too long or you may end up with a pretty bad headache, but wouldn't it be great to go wandering in and find yourself face to face with a frumious Bandersnatch, or a Cheshire Cat, or a Tea Party where it is everyone's unbirthday?

9. Narnia
But specifically, it has to be the Narnia in the time zone when the Pevensie children are the rulers, because that's when everyone is free and there are hardly any men to mess things up. Imagine walking down the beach with a faun and talking with a Mermaid or two on your way to Cair Paravel.. bliss.

10. Neverland
Never has a tiny island hosted so many types of person; a ticking Crocodile, a group of lost boys, some Pirates, some Mermaids, some Indians, and a load of random creatures or people that flit about in the woods. For a few days, it would be nice to stop time and just relax, and as long as you don't side with anyone, you could do just that.

11. Special Mention; Discworld
Terry Pratchett's incredible imagination knows no bounds, and niether does the Discworld, by the looks of it. Pratchett can't stop writing about it and choosing things to make a satire of, and we love him for it.

Oz: The Great and Powerful - Film

*Beware the spoilers*

The prequel to the classic 'Wizard of Oz', based on the books of L. Frank Baum, is now in our cinemas, and what a prequel it is. With stunning visual effects with a nicely thought-through plot, the film is sure to please any audience.

Oz (James Franco), otherwise known as Oscar Diggs, is a small time magician at the Baum Brothers circus. He is a womaniser, a crook and a liar. Of course, we expected that. The wizard calls himself a 'humbug' in The Wizard of Oz, and we all know that is who this man will become. After causing a fiasco by flirting with the resident strong man's wife/girlfriend, Oz steals a hot air balloon and rides it straight into a tornado which, like Dorothy, takes him to the land of Oz. (The tornado ride is pretty intense, I loved it). He meets a witch, Theodora (Mila Kunis), there, who realises that he must be the Wizard from the prophesy, come to banish the evil witch, Glinda (Michelle Williams), from their land and take the throne. Oz, ever the opportunist, decides to follow the Theodora to the emerald city and become the great man he thinks he should be.

The one thing,in my opinion, that could have been improved was the acting. James Franco's 'unconvincing smile' was driving me insane, while the wicked witch of the west was a little too shouty and cackly to be convincing as a character. Although this was a clear nod to the original film, I felt that perhaps it would be better to make the evil acting a little bit more subtle.

And there were a few more nods to the original film, as well as the books. Glinda was the witch of the South in the books and this restores her to that role. The little China girl has been taken from 'The Wonderful Wizard of Oz', the first book. The film begins in black and white, and then changes to colour when the wizard arrives in Oz. This was a particularly nice touch. Also, characters from this world are transferred to Oz, as in the original film, such as Glinda and Frank (Zach Braff). Frank is a little harder to notice, but he is the flying monkey who ends up travelling with them. There is a nice reference to the cowardly lion, as well as the methods that Oz uses in his tricks and the way the witches travel.

So, all in all, this film is about the journey that Oz takes to become the man we see in The Wizard of Oz - a great man. Though this Disney film isn't a direct prequel to the MGM film starring Judy Garland, it conforms extremely well to the plot. We learn how the Wicked Witch of the West comes into being and how Oz gained the throne. I like the way it wasn't as straightforward as it could have been. At first, we wonder why Glinda is described as evil and why there isn't a green witch. Well, all will be revealed. The ending is nice and, in some places, quite unexpected. But it ties everything in well and doesn't leave you with any questions.

Stunning landscapes, character design and a good, sturdy plot, but it could have done with more realistic acting and maybe a bit more depth. 4 out of 5. The kids will love it.