4thgradereading

Written by Michael Morpurgo
Illustrated by Emma Chichester Clark

This fun new book answers a couple of questions that had already been asked about the Wizard of Oz. How did the other characters see the events surrounding Dorothy and the others? What happened to those characters after Dorothy went home? Of course, Wicked gave one answer, but this is about Toto, Dorothy’s little dog. And this book is for the younger set.

There is a lot to love here. The story begins as Toto tells his story to his puppies as a bedtime story. Only his namesake stays awake during the entire tale. The author definitely puts his own spin on the tale. No mean neighbor trying to take Toto away. No running away from home. No witch following Dorothy throughout Oz. But it is a good story and close enough to the film to be recognizable.

Dorothy and Toto are delayed from seeking shelter by Toto chasing Uncle Henry’s hat. Much of the route across Oz is different. Toto is very driven by the fact that he’s constantly hungry and wants Aunt Em’s sausages. Dorothy does not get home by clicking her heels, but the Wizard has a balloon. And so on.

The illustrations are beyond fantastic. Colorful panels adorn nearly every page, telling the story independently and almost giving the reader a separate book.

This would be great as a read aloud for children as young as second grade and would be a good independent read for older children. The story is not as scary as the movie of the same name, though it does have its scary parts. Everyone will cheer for Dorothy and Toto to make it home. Or, as they say: “Home is home, and home is best.”

“You’re do dog-gone right.”

• Title: Toto: The Dog-Gone Amazing Story of the Wizard of Oz
• Author: Michael Morpurgo
• Illustrator: Emma Chichester Clark
• Published: HarperCollins Children’s Books, 2017
• Reviewer: Sue Poduska
• Format: Hardcover, 284 pages
• Grade Level: 2 to 7
• Genre: Fiction, Rewritten classic, Chapter book
• ISBN: 978-0-00-825256-4