Beautiful Editions: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

Today’s discussion is the third post in my new “Beautiful Editions” series. In case you’ve missed the previous article in which I mentioned various Peter Pan books, I will link it here.

Just a recap of what to expect in my Beautiful Editions series:

I know many people who collect beautiful editions of their favorite books, myself being one of them. I think this “Beautiful Editions” series will be good for those of you searching for the next beauty to add to your ever growing collection. Each post I will discuss a different book. Today we will explore a book that is slowly becoming one of my absolute favorites–The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

Let’s get started, shall we?

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THE BOOKS

1. Puffin Classics
Buy: Book Depository
Publisher: Puffin Classics
Format: Paperback
ISBN13: 9780141321028
These Puffin Classic editions are some of my personal favorites. There are many different titles in this series and the cover art is always stunning. The actual size of these editions is actually much smaller than your usual book. They also take on an almost square shape at about 5×6 inches. In addition to a beautiful cover, there are also black and white line drawings scattered throughout the inside of this book.

2. Hesperus Press Edition
Buy: Book Depository
Publisher: Hesperus Press Ltd
Format: Paperback
ISBN13: 9781843913900
What I love about this edition is the fact that it looks vintage, but in actuality it’s not. I don’t own this paperback, but from what I can tell in the above image, it appears as if there are french flaps. I believe Hesperus Press published the rest of the Oz series in this same style, as well.

3. Puffin Classics
Buy: Book Depository
Publisher: Puffin Classics
Format: Hardcover
ISBN13: 9780141341736
These hardcover Puffin Classics editions are adorable. I own The Secret Garden in this edition and have to admit it’s one of my personal favorites. Again, as with the paperback Puffin Classics editions, the hardcover versions run a bit small and almost square. For some people that may seem like a bother, but I’m personally a fan.

4. BabyLit
Buy: Book Depository
Publisher: Gibbs Smith
Format: Board book
ISBN13: 9781423637189
Gibbs Smith publishes amazing BabyLit books which are fully illustrated abridged versions of children’s classics. The illustrations in them are always absolutely adorable, and I honestly can’t recommend them enough.

5. The Annotated Centennial Edition
Buy: Book Depository
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Format: Hardcover
ISBN13: 9780393049923
These annotated editions come in various titles. They normally feature an introduction and annotations by someone who has studied the said author’s work. This edition of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was annotated by Michael Patrick Hearn. There are also 146 illustrations, 56 of those being color. One thing to note with these editions is that they run fairly large and square.

6. Puffin Chalk 
Buy: Book Depository
Publisher: Puffin
Format: Paperback
ISBN13: 9780142427507
This Puffin Chalk edition is just lovely. The cover art was done by illustrator Dana Tanamachi, and was indeed created by drawing on a chalkboard. This paperback features french flaps as well as deckled pages. As with most Puffin editions, the actual size runs super small.

7. Paper Cut Edition
Buy: Amazon
Publisher: Sterling Children’s Books
Format: Hardcover
ISBN13: 9781454922452
The above hardcover is a paper cut popup edition. This lovely version is part of an entire series of abridged children’s classics. Other books include The Beauty and the Beast as well as Peter Pan.

8. Penguin Threads
Buy: Book Depository
Publisher: Penguin Classics
Format: Paperback
ISBN13: 9780143106630
The Penguin Threads editions are some of my favorites. There are other books in this series such as Little Women and The Secret Garden. If I had to pick a top choice in these editions though, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz would definitely be it. The cover art started off as actual embroidery on fabric, which I personally think is amazing. This paperback features french flaps and when you open to the inside cover you can see what the back of the embroidery looked like.

9. Barnes and Noble Collectible Edition
Buy: Barnes & Noble
Publisher: Barnes & Noble
Format: Bonded Leather
ISBN13: 9781435156227
This is a beautiful collectible edition from Barnes & Noble. It includes the first five Oz Novels and has many black and white illustrations throughout. My favorite part about this edition is definitely the emerald green gilded pages and foiling on the cover.

10. Pop-up Book
Buy: Amazon
Publisher: Little Simon
Format:  Hardcover
ISBN13: 9780689817519
This abridged pop-up edition was illustrated by Robert Sabuda. Sabuda did the artwork for many children’s lit pop-up books. Other titles include Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Peter Pan.

11. An Illustrated Classics
Buy: Book Depository
Publisher: Canterbury Classics
Format: Hardcover (cloth bound)
ISBN13: 9781684120352
The above illustrated classic edition was illustrated by both William Denslow and Cherie Zamazing. It is a hardcover cloth bound with red sprayed pages, and features various full color illustrations inside.

12. Words & Pictures Edition
Buy: Book Depository
Publisher: Words & Pictures
Format: Hardcover
ISBN13: 9781910277386
This hardcover edition was adapted by Michel Laporte specifically for young readers. Considering it is an adaptation, one thing to keep in mind is that this is not the original text. In addition to the story, this book also features various beautiful illustrations by Olivier Latyk throughout.

13. Puffin + Pantone
Buy: Book Depository
Publisher: Puffin
Format: Paperback
ISBN13: 9780425289044
As a former textile designer who worked with Pantones as a part of my job, I can really appreciate these Puffin+Pantone editions. For those of you who don’t know, Pantone is a company that that is basically a system for matching colors for printing. Each color has a designated number and name. When Puffin partnered with Pantone, they gave various children’s classics a specific Pantone color. The spine on these editions resemble the color swatches that can be found in Pantone books. There are also french flaps as well as deckled pages. If you’re looking to liven up your shelves, I honestly couldn’t recommend this edition enough.

14. Classics Reimagined
Buy: Book Depository
Publisher: Rockport Publishers Inc.
Format: Paperback
ISBN13: 9781631595653
The Classics Reimagined series is a collection of beautiful collector’s editions of unabridged classic novels. Each book in this series is illustrated by a different contemporary artist from around the world. The illustrator for The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is Olimpia Zagnoli. Other books in this series include Sherlock Holmes and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. This edition also includes 100 full color illustrations.

15. North-South Books Edition
Buy: Book Depository
Publisher: North-South Books
Format: Hardcover
ISBN13: 9780735840423
This hardcover edition features full color illustrations by artist Lizbeth Zwerger. I think the artwork on this cover is absolutely stunning. I love how Zwerger chose to feature the field of poppies scene over everything else. I am however, a little confused by her interpretation of he lion and tin woodman.

16. Sterling Edition
Buy: Book Depository
Publisher:  Sterling
Format: Hardcover
ISBN13: 9781402775468
While this unabridged hardcover edition is certainly lovely, it’s not one of my favorites. The cover art is nice, but I’m not totally taken with the artist’s aesthetic. The scarecrow kind of freaks me out to be quite honest. This version also features full color illustrations by Robert Ingpen.

17. Manga Illustrated Classics
Buy: Book Depository
Publisher: Seven Seas
Format: Paperback
ISBN13: 9781626922631
Seven Seas publishes many manga interpretations of different children’s classics. Other titles include Peter Pan and Anne of Green Gables. This edition has 100 black and white illustrations as well as a few color inserts.

18. Signet Classics Edition
Buy: Book Depository
Publisher: Signet Classics
Format: Paperback
ISBN13: 9780451530295
I think the art style of this cover is adorable. I don’t personally own this paperback, and it doesn’t really say on Book Depository, so I’m not quite sure if there are any illustrations in this edition. Nonetheless, this is a charming version either way.

19. Usborne English Readers Edition
Buy: Book Depository
Publisher: Usborne Publishing Ltd
Format: Paperback
ISBN13: 9781474926805
This Usborne edition of The Wizard of Oz is retold by Mairi Mackinnon. It also has full color illustrations throughout, and includes activities as well as free audio.

20. Marvel Edition
Buy: Book Depository
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Format: Paperback
ISBN13: 9780785129226
The above Marvel edition is a graphic novel with illustrations throughout. the story is retold by Eric Shanower along with artist Skottie Young. This comic also comes in hardcover as well.

21. Word Cloud Classics
Buy: Book Depository
Publisher: Canterbury Classics
Format: Faux Leather (Flexibound)
ISBN13: 9781607109433
Canterbury’s Word Cloud Classic editions are absolutely beautiful. There are many titles in this series ranging from various Jane Austen novels all the way to Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina. Each Flexibound book features different beautifully illustrated end papers, as well.

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HONORABLE MENTION

1. Coloring Book
Buy: Book Depository
Publisher: Waves of Color
Format: Paperback
ISBN13: 9781626923942

2. Coloring Book
Buy: Book Depository
Publisher: Harbour Publishing
Format: Paperback
ISBN13: 9781922134714

3. The Official 75th Anniversary Companion
Buy: Book Depository
Publisher: Harper Design International
Format: Hardcover
ISBN13: 9780062278012

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That’s all for today folks! I hope you enjoyed reading this post.

Until next time,