beautiful dress that he sees in a shop window. He sets out to make the money to buy the dress – but when he returns it has already been sold! He is determined to track the dress down, going from owner to owner and even abroad in his quest to make the dress his own. A fantastical children’s tale from famous ‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz’ author. Lyman Frank Baum (1856 – 1919) was a prolific and well-known American writer. He is best known for his famous series of modern fairy tales set in the imaginary land of Oz. The first of the books, ‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz’ is widely considered to be the first true American fairy tale and was the basis for the hugely popular 1939 classic musical ‘The Wizard of Oz’ starring Judy Garland. Born and raised in New York, Baum held a range of jobs including as a poultry farmer, clerk, and storekeeper before pursuing his talent for writing at the age of 41. He wrote 14 novels in the Oz series, as well as over 40 other novels and over 80 short stories. He died in California in 1919.