The wonder city of Oz Book

Well, this book started it all for me, so I give it five stars largely based on nostalgia.
I found it in one of the many book piles in my home more than 40 years ago. I suppose I was around seven years old, and for some reason, the book's, crazy, fun-house-mirror-distorted cover drew me in.

I read the first line... "Jenny Jump jumped." Before too many pages, Jenny was half fairy. The notion of being half fairy who could jump to Oz dazzled me completely. I was, from that day forward, hooked on reading.

Having just reread it for the zillionth time, I can't say the book is a classic, or even especially good. It's filled with too many characters, even for an Oz book, and John R. Neill, the illustrator for most of L. Frank Baum's books was not the writer Baum was, and "The Wonder City of Oz" is a bit like a variety show with too many performers.

Yet, he created chocolate stars in this book (actually in the heavens, with real chocolate soldiers). He writes of a "turn-style," where people walk through a magical turnstile that gives them brand-new fabulous outfits. There's an election (Jenny is a bit of a malcontent), but Ozma handles it all with good humor.

The book is crowded, but undeniably, a dream weaver. It's the kind of book a child or adult can ponder on a lazy day.