Fairy Tale Spotlight: Merry Go Round in Oz [Book Review]

[Contains spoilers for a book that nobody reads anymore.]

"Merry Go Round in Oz" is the fortieth book in the Oz series originally created by L. Frank Baum. It was written (for the first time) by two people: Eloise Jarvis McGraw and Lauren McGraw Wagner. It was published in 1963. This book marks the moment publisher Reilly & Lee officially lost all interest in the Oz series.

The story is actually three stories that converse in the middle. It is the story of Robin, a boy from Oregon, and his living Merry-Go-Round horse, simply named Merry. It is the story of Prince Gules of the small country of Halidom found within Oz. It is also the story of Dorothy and the Cowardly Lion as they go on their own quest.

Robin simply was trying to find a way home after accidently flying into Oz on a wooden horse who suddenly came alive. Merry is adorable. She is new to being alive and would constantly get confused by things. One adorable thing she would do would be to impulsively gallop in a circle because of her time as a Merry-Go-Round horse. Even though she learned how to finally go straight, she would still go in circles when she got nervous.

The story of Prince Gules was a full on knight's quest to find the three missing circlets of his kingdom. He was joined by a whole party of adventures which included Fess, his page. A steed named Fred who had a massive, crippling ego, a unicorn with quite a bit of grace and fairy-like qualities, and a humble, little bat named Flitter who liked making up songs.

Dorothy and the Cowardly Lion were simply trying to get an order of Easter eggs from the one-and-only Easter Bunny when they accidently got lost and fell into their own adventure in an attempt to find their way back to the Emerald City.

All three of these storylines converge late in the book in a beautiful fashion. The authors did a wonderful job at combining them. I was tickled so much as I read through it.

I think through it all I have to say that this must be the best appearance of the Cowardly Lion I have ever come across. He was so well-represented here. His bravery and cowardly nature was full on display in every scene. His little nervous quips were always welcome. I especially loved when everyone was running away from a bunch of crazy children who were trying to capture them. The Cowardly Lion leaps into a hiding spot next to Dorothy and simply says, "So how is your vacation going?" Absolutely hilarious. Great comedic timing.

The bat called Flitter was my second favorite. He was presented as the humblest character in the entire book and really a great role model for anyone who dislikes their own ego. This would end up being the character God appreciated the most. He was super cute and spent most of his time trying to create little songs about the stuff that was happening. He was a joy to read about.

I have few complaints about this book. Early on, there were some really hard and ancient words being used that most children would have trouble with. Most of these words are explained in the book but much later. I worry that some kids would put the book down before it would be explained. It doesn't really hurt the book that much though. I really did enjoy this one.

One thing the authors did so well was the extremely heart-warming ending. It makes you feel so wonderful. I mean, this is literally the opposite of anything Hans Christian Andersen ever did. It is a 100% happy ending and is totally earned. For these reasons, I highly recommend "Merry Go Round in Oz" to everyone. It's worth your time. It's very well written, full of thoughtful content, and delivered in a smart manner. Cheers.

This blog was written on January 30, 2023.

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