“The Wonderful Wizard of Oz:” Magic Is Alive and Well Within the Pages of This Stunningly Reimagined Classic
Eduardo Lima and Miraphora Mina, the artists in charge of the graphic design of the Wizarding World, have worked their magic again as their illustrated edition of L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz hits bookshelves, providing an amazing retelling of four friends journeying down a yellow brick road.
MinaLima has illustrated several other treasured tales of our childhood, including J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan, initially illustrated by Francis Donkin Bedford, and Carlo Collodi’s The Adventures of Pinocchio, originally illustrated by Enrico Mazzanti. In The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, MinaLima offers charming designs and intricate illustrations, transforming a classic story while still maintaining the whimsy and magic of the original, which was previously illustrated by William Wallace Denslow.
This is one of the original illustrations from “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.”
Before receiving this book, I had only experienced this story through the film the book is based on and had never actually read the story by L. Frank Baum. The film itself is so bright and colorful, and I was wondering how MinaLima was going to add its own twist to it. Overall, I was blown away by just how whimsical and fantastic these illustrations are. They transported me into the story – into the Land of Oz itself – in a whole new and fun way.
This is one of the original illustrations from “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.”
MinaLima has really outdone itself with this edition; you can tell that Lima and Mina put a lot of effort into making these illustrations just as magical and engaging as the story itself.
I won’t give everything away, but one of my favorite aspects of the book is the removable Oz spectacles that you can wear along with Dorothy and her friends as they enter the Emerald City. They provide a different look at the world, quite similar to Luna and her Spectrespecs.
The Cowardly Lion has to be one of my favorite character renderings from the book, and the full page of him drinking from a dish to gain courage (while still wearing his Oz spectacles, mind you) is absolutely delightful.
There’s even an interactive element where readers can make Dorothy click her silver shoes together to take her back home.
It was truly a lot of fun to read this classic story with all the interactive elements it had to offer. As Dorothy and her three friends continue their journey, you encounter a beautiful pop-up yellow brick road. When the Wizard of Oz is working his magic, you can open up a panel in the Tin Woodman’s chest to reveal his new heart. MinaLima even provides a colored map of the Land of Oz just as Dorothy begins her journey.
Whether you have read this timeless classic or only know the story from the 1939 film, I highly recommend getting this edition to add to your bookshelf. This edition of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz will delight young ones and the young at heart, providing a new sense of wonder and excitement with MinaLima’s unique and engaging illustrations. It may not be a yellow brick road, but I for one am excited to see what classic they’ll tackle next on their journey.
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher, Harper Design, for review.
