By Eric Shanower

Publisher: IDW Publishing

Format: 256 pgs, softcover, full color, $39.99 (order with code FEB063134)

Category: Children's Literature

Dewey: 741.5 SHA or FIC SHA

Subjects: Comics and comic books, etc.; Fantasy

ISBN: 1-933239-61-1

Reviewed by: Library Journal

Shanower wrote his first Oz story at age 11 and became a cartoonist partly to create his own Oz books - and voila: a fine anthology of stories originally published separately. "The Enchanted Apples of Oz" follows Dorothy and the Scarecrow as they stumble across a threat to the source of Oz's magic. In "The Secret Island of Oz," inventive magical places and creatures complicate Dorothy's quest for a special fish for the EmeraldCity pond. The chilly monarch of "The Ice King of Oz" yearns for the lovely warmth of Oz's heroines, which nearly leads to disaster. "The Forgotten Forest of Oz" tells of a wood nymph banished from Burzee, only to become Queen of the Trolls. All the stories work as standard Oz adventure plots and more deeply as emotional journeys of yearning, loss, and healing. Child readers will recall the neighbor kid who moved away, teens the unrequited crush, and adults the friendship breached by misunderstanding. The charming, colorful art gets even better as the stories progress. Highly recommended for ages 10+.-M.C.