Rereading: THE PATCHWORK GIRL OF OZ by L. Frank Baum

Illustrated by John R. Neill

The seventh Oz book by Baum is titled for one of his liveliest characters, originally created for a silent film he wanted to produce that was never made. Baum had tried to end the series with the previous book, “The Emerald City of Oz,” but perhaps his financial situation, and many fan letters, made him rethink that.

The story begins in a lonely forest in the Munchkin part of Oz, where a boy, Ojo, and his uncle, Unk Nunkie, have lived together for as long as Ojo can remember, but now they have run out of food and must find help and a new home. They travel to the house of their only neighbor, the crooked magician, Dr. Pipt. His limbs are crooked, but he seems friendly, though very busy making a new batch of his Powder of Life. Ozma, the ruler of Oz, has forbidden anyone to practice magic in Oz other than herself and her associates the Wizard of Oz, and Glinda the Good, but Pipt feels he can still do magic to help his own family. He wants the Powder to bring to life a girl assembled from a stuffed patchwork quilt that his wife Margolette has made to help her with chores. He’s already used a previous batch to bring life to a glass cat they call Bungle.

Dr. Pipt finishes his Powder and brings the figure to life, and they give her the name Scraps, but she’s more independent than expected perhaps because Ojo added some extra brains to her before she was finished. Then a terrible accident causes Margolette and Unk Nunkie to be turned to stone by another of Dr. Pipt’s magic potions. Ojo is heartbroken, and willing to do anything to bring him back to life. Dr. Pipt tells him he will start at once on a new batch of the Powder of Life, but that will take six years. Or, Ojo can go in search of the ingredients he would need for another potion that could restore them. Ojo agrees, and soon sets off with the list. Patches decides to go with him, as does Bungle, the glass cat. They have many adventures, making new friends, and getting in and out of trouble, but the list seems impossible. Will Ozma be able to help? When they arrive at the Emerald City, Ozma has Ojo arrested!

This was much more fun to reread than the previous book, and is recommended.

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