Toto's Tale and True Chronicle of Oz

This review is from my teen daughter. I am a huge fan of The Wizard of Oz. I've read the book, and seen the plays. This tale is from Toto's perspective - it was adorable! I loved how funny it was. He totally puts a new spin on everything. I want MORE books by Toto!

A fresh perspective of the story of the Wizard of Oz through the eyes of Toto. The narration of this story is the unique and entertaining. If you are a dog lover you will love this story.

For all you fantasy fans, this is a real treasure. As the author explains, it was inspired by the original Wizard of Oz stories by Frank Baum, not the 1939 movie starring Judy Garland. However there are enough bits and pieces in the narrative that will remind you of episodes of,the film, that both book lovers and movie fans should be happy. One difference you will notice immediately is that the ruby slippers of the movie are silver. The story is charmingly illustrated with some of the original drawings, now in the public domain.
Telling the story of Dorothy's adventures from the perspective of Toto was ingenious. Toto is the only character who can't give voice to human speech so he is frequently frustrated, but it adds an extra challenge to each of the episodes in the journey and makes the little dog even more endearing.
The sentence structure and plot elements are simple enough for a child to understand, and although there are a few dangerous situations, it is unlikely to give nightmares like the movie or the stories of Harry Potter.
All in all, this will be a welcome addition to a school or family library.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an e-ARC of this book.

How delightful! The story of the Wizard of Oz told by Toto. Based
on the 1900 Frank Baum book with illustrations from the original
(now in the public domain), the story is retold with wit and humor
and a few changes to the story. Toto's voice and actions are definitely
those of a terrier and he has a great sense of humor. I really liked that
the author explained Dorothy's origins by putting her on an orphan
train from NY. This little book brought me joy. It is suited for adults
but would also be great for older children.

My 3rd grade daughter read this soon after reading The Wizard of Oz. She loved reading the story from Toto's perspective. She kept comparing and contrasting the two books and even used to a Venn diagram! She says that she told her friends to put this book on their Christmas list.

My son, a huge Oz fan, ADORED this book. We read it twice via Netgalley, then bought the ebook so he can continue reading it whenever he wants. He loved seeing the story through Toto's eyes, and it inspired him to think about how the story would change through other characters' perspectives.