Showing results by author "L. Frank Baum" in All Categories

When a storm blows Dorothy overboard on an ocean voyage to Australia, she washes ashore in the Land of Ev, which has been taken over by the evil Nome King. If she and her companions (Billina the Talking Hen, Princess Ozma of Oz, and Tik-Tok the Mechanical Man) can't find a way to defeat the Nome King's powerful magic, they'll all be turned into ornaments for his collection!

Betsy Bobbin and her mule Hank find themselves on the shores of Oz after a storm. While trying to find their way home, they wander into the Rose Kingdom and are held prisoner by the Royal Gardener. Just in the nick of time, Shaggy Man falls through the roof of the greenhouse and tries to convince the Gardener to let the pair go, using his powerful Love Magnet. Unable to convince them, the trio is instead banished with Ozma's cousin, Princess Ozga, in tow.

Have you seen the man in the moon? Do you think it must get lonely up there? In this story the Man in the Moon decides to come to earth in search of porridge and some company.

Little Tommy Tucker was a waif on the streets. He never remembered having a parent or guardian, and so he learned to care for himself. He ate whatever he could get, and slept wherever night overtook him--in an old barrel, a cellar, or, when fortune favored him, he paid a penny for a cot in some rude lodging-house. His life on the streets taught him early how to earn a living by doing odd jobs, and he learned to be sharp in his speech and wise beyond his years. One morning Tommy crawled out from a box in which he had slept overnight and found that he was hungry. But Tommy was a plucky boy with a lively wit and a way of making his way. Listen and find out how he ended up.

Why did Tom steal the pig? Was he a bad boy? Not according to the story behind this rhyme. Tom was the only son of a good-for-nothing who could only play the pipes and that very badly.

Yes, her house did look like a shoe and she did have a LOT of children and she often did not know what to do. But she was a prudent and loving lady who took all 16 of them in and they somehow managed to not just grow, but thrive and grow healthier on the little food she could afford. That and of course the spanking they all got to help them grow. She may be short on food and their beds may be cramped and their clothes patched and old, but there was never a lack of love for any of them in her 'shoe' home.

Prince Inga, aided by three magic pearls, is set to rule the island of Pingaree. King Rinkitink arrives with his talking goat, Bilbil, determined to take a vacation on Pingaree. Inga's father, King Kitticut, is captured by Regos' invaders along with all the rest of the people of Pingaree except for Rinkitink, Bilbil, and Inga himself.

"Mother Goose in Prose" is a collection of stories by L. Frank Baum, in which he retells popular nursery rhymes in prose form, providing imaginative backstories for each rhyme. Published in 1897, the book offers charming and whimsical explanations for how these well-known rhymes came to be. For example, the story behind "Little Bo-Peep" explores how she lost her sheep and how they eventually returned. Each tale is crafted with Baum's signature storytelling style, combining fantasy and humor, making the book a delightful read for both children and adults. This version of the book preserves the ...

Cap'n Bill and a little girl named Trot are out in their rowboat when a whirlpool capsizes their craft. Finding themselves in an underwater cave, they meet up with an Ork. Further along their journey, they run into Button-Bright, the little boy from The Road to Oz, who has seemingly lost his way once again. The group learns of the unjust behavior of King Krewl, who has cut off Jinxland from the rest of Oz, and how the rightful king's daughter, Gloria, is being forced to marry old Googly-Goo, despite her being in love with Pon, the gardener's son.

The Man in the Moon was rather lonesome, and often he peeked over the edge of the moon and looked down upon the earth and envied all the people who lived together. He thought it must be vastly more pleasant to have companions to talk to than to be shut up on a big planet all by himself.

Old King Cole was not always a king, nor was he born a member of any royal family. It was only chance that made him a king at all. He had always been a poor man, being the son of an apple peddler, who had died and left him nothing but a donkey and a fiddle. But that was enough for Cole, who never bothered his head about the world's goods, but took things as they came and refused to worry about anything. So begins the story of how this happy soul became the king of a country by accident.

This delightful story tells of the Little Bun Rabbit who is befriended by Dorothy, a little girl. She knows the rhyme and asks the little rabbit about it. Bun Rabbit tells her that indeed, he sees Santa every year as he drives by in his sleigh loaded with toys. One year Santa stopped to talk with him and ask if he would come to his workshop at the North Pole so he could use him as a model to make toy rabbits for little babies. He agrees and this is his exciting adventure with Santa. That is why so many stuffed bunny rabbits are made and given at Christmas to be loved by children everywhere.

Mary was the beloved daughter of a sailor and his wife who lived on a hill close to the sea. She was called "Mistress Mary, quite contrary" because she was a contrary child who often did the exact opposite of what she was told. But her parents loved her and knew that she would someday grow out of this peevish behavior. One day her father and brothers set off on a long sea journey and she asked him when he would return. He replied that they would be away for the time that it took for a garden of cowslips, dingle bells, and cockle shells to sprout, grow, blossom, and wither and die away again.

Within the hollow wall of an old brick mansion, away up near the roof, there lived a family of mice. It was a snug little home, pleasant and quiet, and as dark as any mouse could desire. Mamma Mouse liked it because, as she said, the draught that came through the rafters made it cool in summer, and they were near enough to the chimney to keep warm in wintertime.

Gilligren was an orphan and lived with an uncle and aunt who were very unkind to him. They cuffed him and scolded him upon the slightest provocation, and made his life very miserable indeed. Gilligren never rebelled against this treatment, but bore their cruelty silently and with patience, although often he longed to leave them and seek a home amongst kinder people.

The Black Sheep is very young so he is curious about why the farmer cuts their wool off every year. "The man and his wife spin our wool into clothes to keep them warm" was the reply of a wise old ram. The little black sheep then meets the boy who lives down the lane and hears that his mother has no money to buy him a coat and he is cold in the winter so the kind little sheep asks the farmer if he will grow enough wool for 3 bags instead of the normal two, could he have one. The farmer agrees and so this is what happens. A wonderful story all around.

That wonderful storyteller Baum, of Wizard of Oz fame, tells us the delightful story behind this little rhyme and we all will feel much better knowing that the little boy had excellent reasons to be asleep that morning. Listen and enjoy the whole nifty story. Many of our most loved nursery rhymes are complete tales in themselves, telling their story tersely but completely; others are but bare suggestions, leaving the imagination to weave in the details of the story.

¡Nos vamos a ver al Mago! ¡El maravilloso Mago de Oz! Redescubra el clásico infantil atemporal de L. Frank Baum que ha cautivado a lectores durante generaciones. Lectores de todas las edades seguirán el camino de ladrillos amarillos en este inolvidable y colorido viaje que nos lleva desde la...

Step into the majestic, icy wilderness of the Arctic with L. Frank Baum’s enchanting tale, The King of the Polar Bears. Follow the story of the wise and powerful polar bear king, a gentle ruler whose courage and kindness earn him the respect of all Arctic creatures. But when unexpected challenges arise, the king must use his wisdom to protect his realm and those he loves.

“A Kidnapped Santa Claus” by L. Frank Baum, narrated by Aaron Sokalski, is a delightful and adventurous holiday tale that offers a unique twist on the story of Santa Claus. In this charming story, Santa is abducted by a group of mischief-making demons who seek to ruin Christmas by preventing him from delivering gifts to children. Baum’s inventive narrative mixes holiday magic with elements of fantasy, bringing listeners on an exciting journey to rescue Santa and save Christmas.