Scalawagons of Oz
by John Neill

Our Price: $99.97
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $23.50 (click here)
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions

Book Summary Information

Book Reviews of Scalawagons of Oz

Book Review: "What A Lovely Day For Saving Someone"
Summary: 2 Stars

The events in The Scalawagons Of Oz take place one year after those in the previous title, and again feature Munchkin boy Number Nine and partial fairy Jenny Jump as leads. The Little Wizard has cleverly transformed Jenny from a teenager to a child, and in the process has eliminated the nasty elements in her nature, an act of which Jenny, who has been made a Duchess by Ozma, is unaware. But Jenny still has gumption, an independent nature, fearlessness, and a sense of adventure; thankfully, she doesn't talk like an infant. Spunky Number Nine, now free of the older Jenny's negative influence, is the equal to Baum boy heroes Ojo and Woot, and is here enthusiastically employed as assistant the Little Wizard.

A pleasant grouping of Oz inhabitants color the pages: Tik-Tok, the Sawhorse, Ozma, Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, and Glinda all figure prominently in the narrative. Secondary characters Jellia Jamb, the Hungry Tiger, Jack Pumpkinhead, Aunt Em, the Guardian of the Gate, and the Solider with Green Whiskers make functional guest appearances. Scraps the Patchwork Girl passes in and out of the story like a Greek chorus, continually commenting on the action and behavior her fellows in her distinct brand of hard-on-the-ear rhyming "poetree." Neill's characterizations, as in The Wonder City Of Oz, are vibrant.

There are three definite problems with Neill's story. The opening 60 pages focus on none of the major Oz characters, though the Little Wizard, Number Nine, and Tik-Tok feature briefly. Instead, readers are introduced to new villain Bell Snickle (`Bellsnickle,' an early German name for St. Nicholas), who breaks into the Wizard's Scalawagon factory, tosses factory manager Tik-Tok out a door and down a mountain, frees the Scalawagons, and then briefly torments the Lolly-Pop Village before disappearing. Bell Snickle, whose sole motivation is to "remain mysterious," is the weakest villain in the entire Oz chronicle. Resembling a deflated whoopee cushion or hot water bottle, Bell Snickle's larger intent is never made clear, and while his appearance is only vaguely described, most of Neill's illustrations of him are clear enough. When the poorly conceived Bell Snickle, who "smells like dried mustard," is finally forced through Jenny's magic turnstile, he comes out the other side looking exactly as he went in, only smaller. Though Neill hints repeatedly that his whoopee cushion appearance is only a disguise, and though Jenny says, "Let's see what you really look like," Bell Snickle, who is also called "the Rubber Ghost," has the last laugh, as Neill offers no resolution or punch line to the problem Bell Snickle has presented throughout the book.

The second major problem is that the Scalawagons - which are a cross between a bumper and a trolley car -- barely figure as key components in the story. The Scalawagons are the Little Wizard's new transportation invention, and appear to be at least partial alive; each Scalawagon has a domed top from which `meat' eyes and a head frequently appear. None of Scalawagons have individual personalities, and all are incapable of speech and independent action. The Little Wizard and Jenny want to find the lost cars because they are a planned surprise for Ozma, but as elements of the story, Neill completely fails to tap the potential of his nicely designed, turtle-like vehicles. In anthropomorphic Oz, the Scalawagons have to be the only mute creatures in existence.

The volume's third trouble is that the narrative is padded with briefly introduced new creatures and characters that add nothing to the forward motion of the plot; the constantly complaining grandfather clock that accompanies Number Nine throughout is especially irritating. The residents of Lolly-Pop Village may raise a few eyebrows, as the family residing in each of the 6 houses in the village is composed of one `Lolly' - a little blond girl - and one `Pop' - a lazy old man who has to lean against the other `pops' to keep from falling over. Both the Lollies, who do all the work, and the Pops, who loaf all day, are apparently made of hard candy. Midway through the book, Neill makes the suggested father/daughter relationship between the little girl caretakers and the shiftless old men clear, though there are no mature women in sight. Plot threads dangle; Bell Snickle steals Jenny's purse of "fairy gifts" but does nothing with them, and a mischief-making savage from the Great Waste hides in one of the cars and thus makes his way to the Emerald City, but his misadventures come to little. Overall, the story is badly structured and dull, though the `present moment' is usually buoyed by Neill's snappy dialogue. Whenever Neill gathers together the extended Oz royal family, the air crackles with tangible Ozian magic.

The Scalawagons Of Oz lacks the wild imagination and energy of The Wonder City Of Oz, but Neill still surprises with a constant stream of small details and fresh interpretations of the country that will delight new or longtime readers. The forests in the Winkie country literally blink (or `wink') on and off, and the sky, shade, shadow, and even the skin color of the inhabitants in the particular kingdoms reflect the dominant color of the region. Much of the action takes place in the Quadling and Gillikin countries, regions not often favored by Oz authors. As in The Wonder City Of Oz, Jenny's hair is in a different style in every illustration, as befits a style guru, though here her hairstyles have gone from bizarre to tasteful. Her encounter with fascist spud ruler "Dick Tater" is hilarious.

Overall, The Scalawagons Of Oz is an interesting, often coloful failure, but certainly a must for Oz completists.

Literature & Fiction Books

• Books > Subjects
• New & Used Textbooks > Humanities > Literature