Follow The Yellow Brick Road Through The Public Domain – L. Frank Baum’s Oz Books
L. Frank Baum was a really interesting fella. He had a really interesting life and I would highly recommend reading about him sometime but the the thing I want to talk about in this post is that fact that he was an extremely prolific writer and among other writings, Mr. Baum produced a ton of children’s books – all of which are in the public domain. Here’s a quick bio from Wikipedia…
“Lyman Frank Baum (May 15, 1856 – May 6, 1919) was an American author, actor, and independent filmmaker best known as the creator, along with illustrator W. W. Denslow, of one of the most popular books in American children’s literature, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, better known today as simply The Wizard of Oz. He wrote thirteen sequels, nine other fantasy novels, and a plethora of other works (55 novels in total, 82 short stories, over 200 poems, an unknown number of scripts, and many miscellaneous writings), and made numerous attempts to bring his works to the stage and screen.”
What I’m going to share with you today is Mr. Baum’s numerous Oz books of which he wrote 15 total. Way before Harry Potter, and even the magical land of Narnia, there was the marvelous land of Oz!
Each of these Oz books is in the Public Domain and I’ve provided links to online versions of the texts to each one and the fully scanned versions and even public domain audio versions where possible.
How easy would it be to repackage all of these into one really great product for children? Sometimes, creating a product can be as easy as collecting all of the available Public Domain components, having a few things created to fill in the gaps, and putting your own unique spin on it!
Here’s a closer look at the Oz books in their order of publication (with links that will take you to digital versions of these Public Domain books online)…
Book 1 – “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” 1900
“Dorothy gets swept into the Land of Oz by a cyclone. She meets a living Scarecrow, a man made entirely of tin, and a Cowardly Lion while trying to get to the Emerald City to see the great Wizard. Also reprinted by various publishers under the names The New Wizard of Oz and The Wizard of Oz with occasional minor changes in the text.”
Plain Text = Click Here
Full Scan = Click Here
Audio Version = Click Here
Book 2 – “The Marvelous Land of Oz” 1904
“A little boy, Tip, escapes from his evil guardian, the witch Mombi, with the help of a walking wooden figure with a jack-o’-lantern head named Jack Pumpkinhead (brought to life with the magic Powder of Life Tip stole from Mombi), as well as a living Sawhorse (created from the same powder). Tip ends up on an adventure with the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman. Tip finally learns that he is really Princess Ozma, the true ruler of Oz, is changed back into a girl, and ascends the throne of Oz. Also reprinted as The Land of Oz.”
Plain Text = Click Here
Full Scan = Click Here
Audio Version = Click Here
Book 3 – “Ozma of Oz” 1907
“While traveling to Australia with her Uncle Henry, little Dorothy is swept overboard with a hen named Billina. They land in Ev, a country across the desert from Oz, and, together with new-found mechanical friend Tik-Tok, they must save Ev’s royal family from the evil Nome King. With Princess Ozma’s help, they finally return to Oz.”
Plain Text = Click Here
Full Scan = Click Here
Audio Version = Click Here
Book 4 – “Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz” 1908
“On her way back from Australia, Dorothy visits her cousin, Zeb, in California. They are soon swallowed up by an earthquake, along with Zeb’s horse Jim and Dorothy’s cat Eureka. The group soon meets up with the Wizard and all travel underground back to Oz.”
Plain Text = Click Here
Full Scan = Click Here
Another Full Scan = Click Here
Audio Version = Click Here
Book 5 – “The Road to Oz” 1909
“Dorothy meets the Shaggy Man, and while trying to find the road to Butterfield, they get lost on an enchanted road. As they travel they meet the rainbow’s daughter, Polychrome, and a little boy, Button-Bright. They have all sorts of strange adventures on the way to Oz.”
Plain Text = Click Here
Full Scan = Click Here
Audio Version = Click Here
Book 6 – “The Emerald City of Oz” 1910
“Dorothy Gale and her Uncle Henry and Aunt Em come to live in Oz permanently. While they tour through the Quadling Country, the Nome King is tunneling beneath the desert to invade Oz.”
Plain Text = Click Here
Full Scan = Click Here
Audio Version = Click Here
Book 7 – “The Patchwork Girl of Oz” 1913
“A Munchkin boy named Ojo must find a cure to free his Unc Nunkie from a magical spell that has turned him into a statue. With the help of Scraps, a living Patchwork Girl, Ojo journeys through Oz in order to save his uncle.”
Plain Text = Click Here
Full Scan = Click Here
Audio Version = Not yet available, in progress at Librivox
Book 8 – “Tik-Tok of Oz” 1914
“Betsy Bobbin, a girl from Oklahoma, is shipwrecked with her mule, Hank, in the Rose Kingdom. She meets the Shaggy Man there and the two try to rescue the Shaggy Man’s brother from the Nome King. This book is partly based upon Baum’s stage musical, The Tik-Tok Man of Oz, which was in turn based on Ozma of Oz.”
Plain Text = Click Here
Full Scan = Click Here
Another Full Scan = Click Here
Audio Version = Click Here
Book 9 – “The Scarecrow of Oz” 1915
Cap’n Bill and Trot journey to Oz and, with the help of the Scarecrow, overthrow the cruel King Krewl of Jinxland. Cap’n Bill and Trot had previously appeared in two other novels by Baum, The Sea Fairies and Sky Island. Based in part upon the 1914 silent film, His Majesty, the Scarecrow of Oz.”
Plain Text = Click Here
Full Scan = Click Here
Audio Version = Click Here
Book 10 – “Rinkitink in Oz” 1916
Prince Inga of Pingaree and King Rinkitink and their companions have adventures that lead to the land of the Nomes and, eventually, Oz. This book only ends up in Oz at the end, because Baum originally wrote it as a non-Oz book, entitled King Rinkitink, and only rewrote it later.”
Plain Text = Click Here
Full Scan = Click Here
Audio Version = Click Here
Book 11- “The Lost Princess of Oz” 1917
Concerning the disappearance of Princess Ozma, the ruler of Oz. When she is discovered missing, four search parties are sent out, one for each of Oz’s four countries. Most of the book covers Dorothy and the Wizard’s efforts to find her. Meanwhile, Cayke the Cookie Cook discovers that her magic dishpan (on which she bakes her famous cookies) has been stolen. Along with the Frogman, they leave their mountain in the Winkie Country to find the pan.”
Plain Text = Click Here
Full Scan = Click Here
Audio Version = Click Here
Book 12 “The Tin Woodman of Oz” 1918
“The Tin Woodman, Nick Chopper, is unexpectedly reunited with his Munchkin sweetheart Nimmie Amee from the days when he was flesh and blood. Along the way, Nick discovers a fellow tin man, Captain Fyter, as well as a Frankenstein monster-like creature, Chopfyt, made from their combined parts by the tinsmith, Ku-Klip.”
Plain Text = Click Here
Full Scan = Haven’t yet located
Audio Version = Click Here
Book 13 “The Magic of Oz” 1919
Ruggedo, former Nome King, tries to conquer Oz again with the help of a Munchkin boy, Kiki Aru. In the meanwhile, it is also Ozma’s birthday, and all of Oz’s citizens are searching for the most unusual present for the little princess. This was published a month after Baum’s death.”
Plain Text = Click Here
Full Scan = Click Here
Audio Version = Click Here
Book 14 “Glinda of Oz” 1920
Dorothy, Ozma and Glinda try to stop a war in the Gillikin Country. This was Baum’s last Oz book, and was published posthumously. Most critics agree this is Baum’s darkest Oz book, most likely due to his failing health.”
Plain Text = Click Here
Full Scan = Click Here
Audio Version = Click Here
And One More For Good Measure…
Little Wizard Stories of Oz 1913
“Six short stories about the Oz characters, originally written to help re-launch the Oz series in 1913.”
Plain Text = Click Here
Full Scan = Haven’t yet located
Audio Version = Click Here
If anybody would like to help me fill in the blanks here, particularly with the missing “Full Scans”, I would sure appreciate it!
There were also a ton of Oz books written by other authors after L. Frank Baum’s death but I haven’t done the copyright research on any of them as of yet. These may be well worth checking into as well especially if you’re putting together an ever expanding line of children’s books.
For more info about Mr. Baum, The Land of Oz, and many other books that make up the Oz universe check out the links below…
Land of oz = Click Here
Baum = Click Here
List of oz books = Click Here
How ’bout that Dorothy?
Have you ever met anybody as prone to being struck by natural disaster as she is? Geez – tornadoes, typhoons, earthquakes, you name it, she’s been through it all!
Well, there’s enough resources provided in the links above to keep you up to your eyeballs in flying monkeys, pumpkin heads, munchkins, and much more magical Public Domain mayhem for quite a while.
But just in case, here’s links to a bunch more non-Oz Public Domain children’s books written by L. Frank Baum…
- A Kidnapped Santa Claus Text
- American Fairy Tales Text
- Aunt Jane’s Nieces Text
- John Dough and the Cherub Text
- Life and Adventures of Santa Claus Text
- Mary Louise Text
- Mother Goose in Prose Text Audio
- Sky Island: Being the Further Exciting Adventures of Trot and Cap’n Bill After Their Visit to the Sea Fairies Text Audio
- Tamawaca Folks: A Summer Comedy Text
- The Enchanted Island of Yew Text Audio
- The Fate of a Crown Text
- The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus Text Audio
- The Master Key : an Electrical Fairy Tale, Founded Upon the Mysteries of Electricity and the Optimism of its Devotees Text Audio
- The Sea Fairies Text
- The Surprising Adventures of the Magical Monarch of Mo and His People Text
Time to get back to Kansas now Dorothy! Oz is a fun place to visit but I sure wouldn’t want to live there!
Last 5 posts by Logan:
- What Exactly Is In The Public Domain Datewise?
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- Can I Really Do Anything I Want With The Books That I Download From Project Gutenberg?
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Hello….
i have loved/love the storys of OZ. I have just sean the move of a remake of “the TIn Man” its was very put together i must say.
But what I would like so say is that i have one book that is listed here on your page, “The Patch girl of OZ” Would you be able to let me know where i would find the rest?
i would like to see if i can find all the books.
I found the book and a book store that carrys old copys.
Anahiem, California
[Reply]
Dear Pirates Of The Public Domain,
May I ask… if the book is public domain, can I make it into a cartoon without asking MGM or disney for permission? Did MGM ever control the copyright to the story itself? Or did they merely buy the rights to make a movie?
Because MGM’s film is not in the publci domain,
Curious,
Ivan
[Reply]
Logan Reply:
March 16th, 2009 at 5:12 pm
Hi Ivan,
MGM bought the rights to make the movie, however since any one of these books is in the public domain now, you are certainly free to create your own derivative cartoon versions. In fact, check out the following link at IMDB to see just how many different versions have been made over the years (obviously, filter out all references to HBO’s “Oz” series)…
http://www.imdb.com/find?s=all&q=oz&x=10&y=8
And, you’re right of course, MGM’s film is not in the public domain but the book it was based on certainly is.
Thanks Ivan!
Logan
[Reply]
Logan, finally a site I can understand when it comes to Oz and copyright. You have confirmed my suspicions about the books being in the public domain. Can I assume that means the illustrations are too?
[Reply]
Logan Reply:
August 18th, 2009 at 4:26 pm
Hi Sallianne,
Thanks you for the excellent question (and the great compliment).
You are absolutely correct in your assumption that the illustrations within these books are in the public domain. Anything published in the U.S. before 1923 is in the public domain in the United States.
Thanks again!
Logan
[Reply]
Thanks Logan! I have a little art retreat that I run each year and I want the theme to be “Follow us down the yellow brick road, for a wicked good art time”…or perhaps us Art Is…Wickedly Good! These old images will be wonderful – just picked up a cd of ebay – someone was making good use of Public Domain and made an Ebook!
Thanks again. You are now in my favorites list!
Sallianne
[Reply]
Logan Reply:
August 20th, 2009 at 12:00 pm
Sallianne, that’s awesome! I knew immediately upon reading this that we are kindred spirits. How ’bout “Artfully Wicked”? Good luck with the art retreat (I hope it’s NOT in Kansas!) and let me know if there’s any way I can assist.
~ Logan
[Reply]
hi Logan,
I just want to ask, i know that the MGM the wizard of oz movie is not in the public domain, so if i want to make a musical production ( Stage Performance) for the wizard of oz with the same songs and music , what should i do?
[Reply]
Logan Reply:
January 18th, 2010 at 4:56 pm
Hi Haitham,
Thanks for the great question. Unfortunately, you couldn’t legally use any of the songs / music from the MGM film unless you obtained permission to do so (which would be a feat in itself). You could however base a new play on the original text in the Public Domain books, however you would have to compose all new original music / songs to accompany the performance.
[Reply]
haitham samy Reply:
January 19th, 2010 at 8:07 am
Thanks Logan for the great answer, just 1 final question: do you know from where should i get the permission, knowing that my country is Egypt
[Reply]
Logan Reply:
January 19th, 2010 at 3:01 pm
I would start here…
http://www.mgmlicensing.com
Register with the site then click the “Contact the MGM Consumer Products Team” link at the bottom of the main page. As you are filling out the form, under the “Please select the properties you are interested in:” section, choose MGM Archives. Fill out the rest of the info and then in the comments field give them as much specific information as you can about what it is you would like to do.
That should route you to the correct people to talk to over at MGM.
Good luck!
Logan, THANK U SOOOOO MUCCCHHHHHHH, YOU ARE AMAZINGGGGG
[Reply]
Thank you for such a great explanation. I have one question which would clarify something for me… With the original stories being in the public domain, does that mean I could write stories with those characters, changing them however I wanted to but set in that Oz universe?
thanks again for your help!
[Reply]
Logan Reply:
February 3rd, 2010 at 3:29 pm
Absolutely, YES! You can create all new stories featuring the same public domain characters. You can update the characters to create your own new versions as well. In addition, you could keep them in the Oz universe or bring them into a new literary environment if you choose.
Because the original stories and characters within them were published before 1923, you’re free to do anything you would like with them.
The only warning I would give you is this ~ make sure you base your new creations solely off of the original public domain stories and the described / illustrated traits and features of the characters therein. You are free of course to update them as you see fit to create your own new and unique versions however, just be aware that this has been done a few times already and you need to make sure that your new versions do not bear more than a mere resemblance to someone else’s updated versions (including the MGM film versions of course).
That probably goes without saying but still…
For instance, as you probably know, Spawn creator Todd McFarlane created a line of toys around the Oz theme, called “Twisted Land of Oz”. He could do this freely because the original characters are in the Public Domain. If you haven’t seen them take a look here so you can get a feel as to how he has updated them to fit his “vision” of Oz (links to individual toys found on this page)…
http://www.spawn.com/toys/series.aspx?series=184
There’s been talk for a while now of a new Oz movie in the works with McFarlane producing. Supposedly, the characters will be based on these toys.
Anyway, there’s tons of room for creativity here so creating your own versions of the characters won’t be an issue whether you decide to stay closer to their traditional appearance or decide to give them a whole new spin ~ run with it and go nuts!
Just don’t forget to send me a copy ; )
Also, there are so many great Public Domain characters in these books beyond the instantly recognizable ones like Dorothy, Tin Man, Cowardly Lion, Scarecrow, etc that nobody has done anything with. My favorites are the relatively unknown guys – Jack Pumpkinhead, Tik-Tok, Scraps the Patchwork Girl ~ great stuff!
I’m getting ready to update this post today with some valuable information you may find useful.
[Reply]
D Wright Reply:
February 8th, 2010 at 7:22 am
Thanks once again for the info! For sure, if I get something going, I will let you know.
And I don’t think I could even approach the twistedness of MacFarlane’s work…
[Reply]
Logan Reply:
February 8th, 2010 at 10:21 am
I hear ya! Let me know if there is anything I can ever do to help from a Public Domain perspective.
[Reply]
Wizard of Oz in the Public Domain // Feb 3, 2010 at 6:12 pm
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