The Scalawagons of Oz
Author: John Rea Neill (1877-1943)
Date: 1941
Publisher: Reilly & Lee Company
Place: Chicago
Description:
309 pages with illustrations by John R Neill. Royal octavo (9 1/4" x 7 1/4") bound in original publisher's red cloth with black lettering to spine with illustrated color plate mounted to front board. Illustrated endpages. (Haff and Green 109) First edition, first state.
The Scalawagons of Oz (1941) is the thirty-fifth book in the Oz series created by L. Frank Baum and continued by his successors; it is the second volume in the series both written and illustrated by John R. Neill The novel was followed by Lucky Bucky in Oz (1942).
In Scalawagons, Neill exploits two characters he introduced in his previous novel, The Wonder City of Oz, Number Nine and Jenny Jump. Jenny is the book's protagonist, though the story begins with Number Nine, who is now an assistant to the Wizard of Oz. The Wizard tends to disappear suddenly, as he pursues various projects. His latest project is the creation of a new form of transportation for the Land of Oz. In a red-domed facility atop Carrot Mountain in the Quadling Country, the Wizard has established a factory to build scalawagons, intelligent cars that can also fly. They spread their running boards like wings. In his illustrations, Neill makes them resemble the "kiddie cars" of amusement-park rides; their heads are in turrets on their roofs.
Baum introduced pun-dependent humor into the Oz books from the start of the series; Neill carried punning farther than any other Oz writer. In the course of her adventures, Jenny Jump lands in a field of conscious and talkative potatoes; they are ruled by a spud named Dick — he is their "Dick Tater." Late in the book, the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman enjoy "a game of squash" — which they play "with ripe bananas and brickbats."
Condition:
Front inner hinges cracked, light edge wear, small number 35 at back head corner. Jacket spine sunned, edge wear with chips and tears, corners chipped, spine ends chipped, price clipped else about very good in like jacket.
