THE WIZARD OF OZ

THE COZY VERSION

Dorothy leads a quiet life with her aunt and uncle on a farm in Kansas. One day, Dorothy and her dog Toto are swept up in a cyclone, house and all. When they finally come to a stop in a strange new land, Dorothy discovers the house has crushed the Wicked Witch of the East! The Munchkins, who were under her evil spell, rejoice, and the Witch of the North gives Dorothy the Wicked Witch’s ruby slippers.

As Dorothy follows the Yellow Brick Road to the Emerald City, where she hopes to find the Wizard of Oz—and a way home—she meets the Scarecrow, who wants a brain; the Tin Woodman, who wants a heart; and the Cowardly Lion, who wants courage. Together they travel to the Emerald City and ask the Great Wizard for help. He agrees, but only if they defeat the Wicked Witch of the West!

The Wicked Witch of the West sends flying monkeys to capture Dorothy and her friends, then tricks Dorothy out of one of her ruby slippers. Riled, Dorothy throws a bucket of water on the Wicked Witch—who melts away! The Witch of the North explains that the ruby slippers will take Dorothy wherever she wants to go. After a tearful farewell, Dorothy claps the heels of her shoes three times and says, “Take me home to Aunt Em!”

STORY TIME

Cozy Classics uses a simple one word/one image format to help babies and toddlers build vocabulary and learn everyday concepts such as body parts, emotions, animals, relationships, actions, and opposites. However, Cozy Classics organizes everyday words in a more unique way: through story. By putting words in the context of a story, our books help children find further meaning through a growing sense of narrative.

As children get older, parents can expand on the stories in ever more elaborate ways. If you need a little help, just use the brief synopsis on the back of each book or the longer synopses (the Cozy version) above. But there’s no right or wrong way to read Cozy Classics. Use the words and images as prompts to invent stories of your own and encourage your children to do the same.

Parents can enliven their storytelling with quotations from the originals. Below are some of our favorites from The Wizard of Oz that go well with “the Cozy version.” Quotations can lead to whole passages until one day children are enthralled by the richest versions of all: the classics themselves.

Quotations from The Wizard of Oz:

• The house whirled around two or three times and rose slowly through the air. Dorothy felt as if she were going up in a balloon.
• But the little old woman walked up to Dorothy, made a low bow and said, in a sweet voice: “You are welcome, most noble Sorceress, to the land of the Munchkins. We are so grateful to you for having killed the Wicked Witch of the East, and for setting our people free from bondage.”
• “The road to the City of Emeralds is paved with yellow brick,” said the Witch, “so you cannot miss it. When you get to Oz do not be afraid of him, but tell your story and ask him to help you. Good-bye, my dear.”
• As for the Scarecrow, having no brains, he walked straight ahead, and so stepped into the holes and fell at full length on the hard bricks. It never hurt him, however, and Dorothy would pick him up and set him upon his feet again, while he joined her in laughing merrily at his own mishap.
• “Get an oil-can and oil my joints,” he answered. “They are rusted so badly that I cannot move them at all; if I am well oiled I shall soon be all right again. You will find an oil-can on a shelf in my cottage.”
• Little Toto, now that he had an enemy to face, ran barking toward the Lion, and the great beast had opened his mouth to bite the dog, when Dorothy, fearing Toto would be killed, and heedless of danger, rushed forward and slapped the Lion upon his nose as hard as she could, while she cried out: “Don’t you dare to bite Toto! You ought to be ashamed of yourself, a big beast like you, to bite a poor little dog!”
• When it was daylight, the girl bathed her face in a little rippling brook, and soon after they all started toward the Emerald City.
• “I am Oz, the Great and Terrible. Who are you, and why do you seek me?”
• There was a rushing of many wings, a great chattering and laughing, and the sun came out of the dark sky to show the Wicked Witch surrounded by a crowd of monkeys, each with a pair of immense and powerful wings on his shoulders.
• This made Dorothy so very angry that she picked up the bucket of water that stood near and dashed it over the Witch, wetting her from head to foot. Instantly the wicked woman gave a loud cry of fear, and then, as Dorothy looked at her in wonder, the Witch began to shrink and fall away.
• Dorothy now took Toto up solemnly in her arms, and having said one last good-bye she clapped the heels of her shoes together three times, saying: “Take me home to Aunt Em!”
• “My darling child!” she cried, folding the little girl in her arms and covering her face with kisses. “Where in the world did you come from?” “From the Land of Oz,” said Dorothy gravely. “And here is Toto, too. And oh, Aunt Em! I’m so glad to be at home again!”