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Book Review By David Loftus
The Tin Woodman of Oz by L. Frank Baum

Woot the Wanderer, a young boy from the Gillikin Country, has been traveling Oz for nearly a year when he arrives at the castle of the Emperor of the Winkies, the Tin Woodman. Over dinner, he asks the tin monarch how he came to be, and hears the story of Nick Chopper's love for Nimmie Amee, the servant of the Wicked Witch of the East, when he was still a flesh and blood woodchopper.

Afraid the two will marry, the witch enchants Nick's axe to cut off one leg, the other leg, each of his arms, and then dice up his torso in turn, after which a tinsmith named Ku-Klip replaces the missing parts with tin. Unfortunately, though Nimmie Amee still loved the Tin Woodman, he no longer had a heart to love her. Then he rusted in the forest until Dorothy discovered him. Woot says the Tin Woodman should go back and make the girl happy, and the boy and the Scarecrow join the tin man on his mission.

They are caught by Mrs. Yoop, the wife of the captive giant who turned up briefly in _The Patchwork Girl of Oz_, who transforms them all into different life forms (and who already has Polychrome, the Rainbow's Daughter, captive as a canary-bird). Later, our heroes are astonished to meet Captain Fyter, a Tin Soldier who was Nimmie Amee's fiance after she lost Nick Chopper! Even stranger things await them at the cottages of Ku-Klip and Nimmie Amee herself.


Plot & Themes
Tone of book - very upbeat
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - fantasy world/fantasy past
Romance Yes
Romance plotlets: - destined love (dream or prediction)
Lifeform altered? Yes
Kind of alteration:
Is this an adult or child's book? - Kid's book (ages 7-14)
Descript. of chases or violence - 0 %
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 30 %
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 30 %
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 40 %

Main Character
Identity: - Male
Profession/status:

Main Adversary
Identity: - Female
Profession/status:
Has magical powers? Yes
Magical/mental powers of main antagonist: - can talk to animals - can cast all sorts of spells
Eccentric: Yes
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a moderate amount
How sensitive is this character?
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Average intelligence

Setting
Terrain
Earth setting: - 20th century
Takes place on Earth? Yes

Writing Style
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
How much dialogue? - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
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