~ 1900 ~
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a beloved children's novel written by L. Frank Baum and illustrated by W. W. Denslow in 1900. The story follows a young girl named Dorothy who is swept away to the magical Land of Oz along with her pet dog Toto after a cyclone hits her Kansas home. She learns from the Good Witch of the North that she must find and kill the Wicked Witch of the West to return home. Along the way, she meets colorful characters such as the Scarecrow, Tin Woodman, and Cowardly Lion. The book's groundbreaking success led Baum to write thirteen sequels. Today, it is considered one of America's greatest and best-loved fairy tales.