The Patchwork Girl of Oz (the "Return to Oz", the 7th Oz title and debut of Scraps the Patchwork Girl)

First Edition, Later Printing (c. 1925, with early printing points satisfied). Profusely and wonderfully illustrated throughout with richly colored and black & white illustrations. A good copy for the Oz collector and fan. Patchwork Girl is an important edition of the Oz Canon as it marked a return to Oz by Baum after his decision to end the Oz series with the Emerald City of Oz (published in 1910) to work on an entirely new fantasy series. After that new effort failed, Baum, at the urging of his publisher and friends, wrote and published The Patchwork Girl of Oz in 1913. A good decision in hindsight as the book was a major critical and popular success. Baum's dreams of turning the title and tale into a play and toy merchandising phemon didn't work out, but his return to the land of Oz set the stage for more than 50 years of Oz tales, not the least of which was the now classic MGM film, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. This title is quite rare to find in top condition, especially as there was no dust jacket, with the few first edition, first printing copies on the market in top condition selling for between $1,000 - $3,000. Also, a great many of those on the market erroneously misstate the printing date based on early edition points. Internally very good, with occasionally foxing and stain, but otherwise nice and bright. Profusely and wonderfully illustrated throughout with richly colored and black & white illustrations - not with a limited set of 12 plates as in later titles, but directly on the pages. Endpapers in full color. Just about very good (comparatively) in olive cloth covered boards with black text on the spine, with the Woozy character embellished in red. Cloth rubbed and soiled in a few places, but without marring the cover picture. Head and tail of the spine a bit rubbed. Front board hinge starting but still firmly attached and holding. In a protective mylar cover. Octavo. 341 pp/ + 4 ads.