COVE

W.W. Denslow, "You Ought to be Ashamed of Yourself," The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1900), by L. Frank Baum. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum follows Dorothy Gale, a young girl living in Kansas with her Aunt 'Em and Unclue Henry. She is suddenly swept away by a tornado with her dog, Toto, to the magical land of Oz. Her house lands on the Wicked Witch of the East, killing her, and freeing the Munchkins who had been oppressed by the witch. Dorothy wishes to return home, and a good witch, Glinda, tells her to follow the Yellow Brick Road to the Emerald City and seek help from the Wizard of Oz. Along the way, Dorothy befriends three companions: the Scarecrow, who desires a brain; the Tin Woodman, who wants a heart; and the Cowardly Lion, who seeks courage. Together, they face various challenges, including the Wicked Witch of the West, who wants to stop them from reaching the Wizard. On their adventure, they learn about themselves and also others, and Dorothy's compassion for others leads the way. Eventually, Dorothy and her friends learn that the Wizard is a fraud, and they must rely on their own inner qualities to achieve their goals. They have to exhibit both brains, heart, and courage, to figure out how to meet the Wizard and destroy the Wicked Witch once and for all and send Dorothy home. Dorothy's ruby slippers have the power to take her home all along, and after defeating the Wicked Witch, she uses them to return to Kansas. The story ends with Dorothy realizing that after all that adventure, "there's no place like home." 

Portrait of L. Frank Baum, circa 1890-1900 from Getty Images

Lyman Frank Baum was born on May 15th, 1856 in Chittenango, New York. In his childhood he was comfortable, being the son of a barrel and oil supply factory owner. He preferred to go by his middle name, Frank, instead of Lyman because he didn't like his name, despite being named after his grandfather. When he was 12, he joined military school before leaving two years later due to health issues. After this, he turned his focus to writing children's literature, gaining inspiration from his four sons, whom he had with Matilda Joslyn Gage. He found that he had a knack for writing children's rhymes, and the first collection he published was called Mother Goose in Prose, illustrated by Maxfield Parish, and published in 1987. After that, he followed with the collection Father Goose, His Book, published in 1899. It became one of the most popular collections of the time, and was illustrated by W.W. Denslow, who ended up illustrating The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. In 1900, The Wonderful WIzard of Oz hit the shelves, and quickly became a large success. Two years later, he made his bestselling book into a stage musical, which also ended up being successful. In 1910, he ended up moving with his family to Hollywood, California, to continue to work on the books. He wrote many other books under different pseudonyms, which weren't as successful, but still loved nonetheless. He ended up writing multiple sequels to The Wonderful WIzard of Oz, the last one before his death being Gilda of Oz, published in 1920. In 1918, Baum underwent gall bladder surgery, which left him bedridden until his death on May 6th, 1919. Overall, Baum was a talented writer and his love for children was shown through all of his works.