The Runaway in Oz
by Eric Shanower, John R. Neill, L. Frank Baum

Our Price: $154.12
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $15.00 (click here)
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions

Book Summary Information

Book Reviews of The Runaway in Oz

Book Review: "Nothing Is Ever Lost & Wonders Never Cease"
Summary: 5 Stars

Everything about The Runaway In Oz is perfect. Neill wisely choose to limit his cast to a half - dozen characters, thus allowing his narrative to revolve primarily around the group's interrelationships, though there is also rip - roaring action aplenty. Neill not only chose the popular Scraps the Patchwork Girl as his protagonist, but also allowed Professor Wooglebug and Jack Pumpkinhead, two woefully under - utilized reader favorites, the honor of playing major roles in an Oz tale. Neill's own creation, headstrong style guru Jenny Jump, one of the most distinctive of all Oz heroines, is also on hand as a key player in the drama. Neill and Shanower respectfully honor established Oz history, and their attention to detail, old and new, is remarkable. The Wooglebug's `dream castle' is literally a product of his intensely directed desires, and when tenderhearted Jack Pumpkinhead weeps, he logically sheds pumpkinseed tears. Oz devotees will be thrilled to see Jack's whimsical Shoe Orchestra from The Wonder City In Oz back for another extended series of concerts, and, as in the three earlier Neill books, every illustration of Jenny Jump reveals her with a new outre hairstyle, some that look back on twenties Dada and others that presciently look forward to seventies Punk and eighties New Wave. Readers will also learn that the Little Wizard has returned Jenny's temper to her with the understanding that she promise not `lose it' again. The Patchwork Girl's obnoxious but previously acceptable poetry spouting habit becomes an active element of the story, as Scraps suddenly finds herself in a repulsive world in which everyone she meets seems to be an enthusiastic and compulsive rhymer.

In fact, The Runaway In Oz revolves around all aspects of Scraps' antisocial behavior. As the novel begins, Jellia Jamb, the Tin Woodman, and Jenny Jump have all grown impatient with the boisterous Patchwork Girl's thoughtlessness; feeling rejected and unappreciated, Scraps decides to run away from the Emerald City and from Oz itself. Though Scraps never gets beyond the borders of the kingdom despite her best efforts, she manages to accidentally unknot the Wooglebug's `Castle in the Air' from its moorings, infuriate a mountaintop - dwelling witch that controls all of the world's weather, and strand herself on a shooting star high in the heavens above Oz. Along the way, Scraps makes several interesting new friends and traveling companions, including "talented and gifted" boy scholar Alexample, the leafy Popla the Power Plant, and the Twinkler, an older man imprisoned on the star and forced to polish its lights for eternity.

Meanwhile, Jenny Jump and Jack Pumpkinhead, who are eventually joined by the fretful, castle - searching Wooglebug, have set out in search of Scraps; Jenny feels guilty for having told Scraps that "no one wants to be bothered" by her "tantrums," and though Jack Pumpkinhead's motives are less clear, his behavior appears to have something to do with romantic attachment as well as human concern. The Professor, Jack, and Jenny find themselves lost for days in an enchanted orchard, where they are attacked by an army of thorn carrying quince apples, who are in revolt against being sold at market like common fruits and vegetables. By the time the two parties meet, almost everyone is furious at Scraps except Jack, and the Wooglebug is enraged at everyone.

The Runaway In Oz is great fun throughout. The narrative is smooth, streamlined, and grounded, less manic and explosive than The Wonder City In Oz, but no less hilarious. Neill's real forte as an Oz author was characterization, something Shanower seemed to fully appreciate when editing the manuscript. In fact, the depiction of Scraps here may be the best of any of the Oz titles, since her irritating qualities, always recognized by readers but only rarely by other Oz characters, are realistically acknowledged and addressed head on. The Runaway In Oz portrays Scraps as immature, callous, irresponsible, willful, and vain while simultaneously revealing her foresight, courage, intelligence, determination, concern for others, and eventual common sense and humility. If Jack Pumpkinhead is slightly more downtrodden than usual and the Wooglebug more uppity, longtime Oz fans know there are precedents for their behavior in earlier titles.

Shanower's illustrations are extremely detailed, clear, and timelessly perfect. Alexample, though an Oz citizen and apparent native, bears no resemblance to Woot the Wanderer, Ojo the Lucky, or Button Bright. Instead, he is a clean - cut, eyeglass - wearing young boy in fifties - style clothing; only his thick, black hair hints at romanticism. Jenny Jump was already a modern gal in Neill's earlier titles and illustrations, and continues to be one here. Shanower's Professor Wooglebug, a wonderful balance of erudition, pomposity, enthusiasm, and frustration, surpasses even Neill's. Shanower's weather witch is not even a fourth cousin to traditional hag Old Mombi, but a tough, capable, mature woman in worker's overalls. Popla the Power Plant is a shrub whose beautiful woman's face is hidden within her branches, the female counterpart of the European Green Man of history, architecture, and folklore. From its cover to its double-page drawings and lovely illustrated blue end papers, this edition joyously reflects Shanower's commitment that The Runaway In Oz be every bit as beautiful as the early Baum/Neill books. Highly recommended.

Summary of The Runaway in Oz

Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic Books

• Subjects > Children's Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Fantasy & Magic