The Scalawagons of Oz

Oz Continued #35

by John R. Neill

When the strange and mysterious Bell Snickle "snickles" around the scalawagons of Oz, there is big trouble in the Emerald City.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Childrens, Classics

309 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1941

About the author

John Rea Neill (November 12, 1877 - September 19, 1943) was a magazine and children's book illustrator primarily known for illustrating more than forty stories set in the Land of Oz, including L. Frank Baum's, Ruth Plumly Thompson's, and three of his own. His pen-and-ink drawings have become identified almost exclusively with the Oz series. He did a great deal of magazine and newspaper illustration work which is not as well known today.

(Wikipedia)

Reviews

[Jeff · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I did like this book slightly better than Neill's Wonder City of Oz, Scalawagons lacked cohesiveness and a worthwhile plot. It was a cobbled together adventure story that lacked a significant villain (the Bellsnickle was a let down), was full of way too many cheesy puns, and again seemed to take strong, already well established characters like Ozma and Glinda and dumb them down. I again was also disappointed with Neill's use of inanimate objects randomly having the abilities to talk, think, and move. Considering how many books John R. Neill worked on with Baum, that he would have picked up a better flare for writinv about Oz. This book is in the 1.5-1.75 range for a rating.

[Travis · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Neill Oz books are odd and interesting.
His drawings are amazing and he has a great imagination, I love a lot of his additions to the Oz cast and canon, but at the same time, he doesn't actually seem to have much interest in writing a book.

His books are more a collection of bits, short stories and scenes that he occasionally manages to connect together until he's reached his page count.

This book works better than some of his others, as all the pieces connect enough to feel like one story.
It has a kind of nice 'day in the life' feel to it, as there's no grand adventure, quest or even really a menacing bad guy.
Just when you live in a place like Oz, even 'a day in the life' can be pretty fantastical.

The scalawags are a cool idea that don't do much more than nudge the plot along, and this book is more an ensemble than focusing on any one character, so we get to see Ozma, the wizard, Tik-Tok and various characters, going about what for them would be a pretty typical day.
It just happens to involve walking trees, dragons, flying and a stampede of wild animals.

It's not very plot heavy, but once you accept that, it's fun to just go along with it.
I enjoyed seeing Aunt Em and Uncle Henry and their reactions, the Wizard's assistant, Number nine and his grumpy talking clock, the royal army of Oz and the Guardian of the gate.

There's lots of great bits here, just don't expect it to come together into an actual novel.

My only real grumbles are somebody needed to tell Neill not every sentence has to include a pun and not a big fan of Jenny Jump.
She feels a bit 'Mary sue' and I'd rather one of the other Oz girls had gotten time in the spotlight.

[David Sheward · Rating 2 out of 5]

John R. Neil's second Oz book is even looser and shaggier than The Wonder City of Oz. Bored with his Ozoplanes, the Wizard invents the Scalawagons, automatic, sentient, self-driving autos for every citizen of Oz. Everything is peachy-keen as the Ozites go on endless picnics and beach parties. There has to be a villain and this one is pretty weak--literary a small, smelly bag of gas called the Bell Snickle. This nasty little creep commandeers an army of trees in the latest attempt to overrun the Emerald City. There are also the Miskfits, but only one gets into Oz and is quickly disposed of by the Wizard. He becomes the annoying helper of Tik Tok, the mechanical man, not the social media platform. Naturally, everything works out in the end with this mild little jaunt.

[hpboy13 · Rating 1 out of 5]

Scalawagons is not one of the books I’d gotten my hands on as a child; consequently, I have no nostalgia to fall back on. So with that said, this book is a huge bore. Half of it reads like an advertisement for cars (“It’ll change the lives of Ozians!”) The other half is the Oz characters, bored beyond belief with their eternal existence, desperately seeking an adventure. Baum occasionally ran into this problem, when his characters became so jaded by adventures that they viewed any incident with mild interest, and it’s even worse here. On the whole, perhaps Neill should have stuck to illustrating the Oz books rather than writing them.

[Elena · Rating 2 out of 5]

Slightly better plot structure than The Wonder City of Oz and that is the best I can say about it. This book is really just boring. I think if you haven't read many previous Oz books you would enjoy John R. Neils contributions a little more. Personally though, I find that he makes a lot of established Oz characters kind of unlikable. He changes so much of their personality that it's like they are the same character in name only. It lacks the charm, character development and intrigue of the Oz world.

[Meghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE this book. It is a childhood favorite, and one of the best of the Oz series. It has made a lasting impression. I will never forget the image of Tik-toc knocking sense into the scalawagons. I'm not sure how easy this book is to actually find. I have never come across a copy of it other than the copy that my mom had when she was a small child.