Readers return to Oz through Tip’s adventures in L. Frank Baum’s The Marvelous Land of Oz. Despite referencing Dorothy and her adventures in Oz multiple times, Tip’s story is very different. He has always lived in Oz, in the country of the Gillikins where the Good Witch of the North reigned, with Mombi, an old sorceress, being his guardian all his life. 

When Mombi returns home one day with four magical powders and magic herbs, the pumpkin-headed, wooden figure Tip created to frighten her, becomes the perfect test subject for one of the powders: the powder of life. 

However, Tip creating the now-living figure he calls Jack Pumpkinhead backfires—with him able to work for Mombi, there’s no use for the boy any longer, except as a marble statue for Mombi’s dream flower garden. But for Jack, his loyalty is to his creator, Tip, who he calls his father, and when Tip decides to run away, he takes Jack with him. 

Just like Dorothy, they gather friends along the way. A once-wooden Saw-horse (brought to life by the powder of life) and the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman (whose name was revealed to be Nick Chopper in this book) make a reappearance. It’s a mix of old and new, and while the new characters add to the story in their own unique ways, reading about the Scarecrow and Tin Woodman invokes a certain heart-warming nostalgia. 

Tip’s story is in many ways more adventurous than Dorothy’s as they narrowly evade enemies, flying high above them at times. The protagonists also use magic more often, and because of Jack’s obliviousness to the world of Oz, the world and its history (The story of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, included) is well-explained, helping not only Jack but readers who skipped the first book or simply want to remember it. 

The Marvelous Land of Oz is marvelous, and with the new group of characters, the story doesn’t seem like a replica of the first. Instead, Tip’s story is unique, supported by nostalgia but enjoyable because of its creativity, magic, and adventure.