L. Frank Baum wrote 14 novels about the land of Oz before his death in 1919. The books were so popular that sequels continued to be written after his death by many different authors. There have also been stage plays, musicals, an early silent film and, of course, the glorious 1939 film starring Judy Garland. Yet, despite all of the above, no one has written Toto's side of the story. (You remember Toto, the adorable little dog who never left Dorothy's side. Who can ever forget the Wicked Witch of the West cackling "I will get you and your little dog too"?) Until now.
In "Toto's Tale and True Chronicles of Oz," Sylvia Patience gives Toto his voice. This is his story, and it is very charming and endearing. There are no big surprises. We know he loved Dorothy and that she loved him. We also know he fell asleep in the field of poppies, that he barked at everyone and that he was terrified of the winged monkeys, (every child was terrified of them, I still get chills thinking about them). We didn't know, however, that Toto ran away from an abusive farmer as a puppy, and that he was rescued by Dorothy as she stepped off the Orphan Train in Kansas. We also didn't know that he peed on the Wicked Witch's leg and caused her to begin to melt! (Dorothy threw a bucket of water to stop the melting, and we know what happened then-she melted away completely). Some of these "facts" were added by Patience, some are in the original Baum novels, like the fact that Baum named the Tin Man, Nick Chopper, the Scarecrow, Jack Straw and the Cowardly Lion, Leo the Lion. Ms. Patience weaves all of the above, and more, into Toto's Tale, and the end result is a wonderful children's novel that will delight and enchant children and adults alike. (In exchange for an honest review, I was provided with a review copy by the publisher via NetGalley.)
Print Length: 248 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0692542558
Publisher: Sylvia Patience; 1 edition (November 9, 2015)
Publication Date: November 9, 2015
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
