f this book’s vector didn’t immediately jump out at you, let me remind you.

Toto is Dorothy’s little dog from the Wizard of Oz. Oh yes, that dog.

We saw this with Wicked and A Barnstormer in Oz. These are reimagining of the classic movie we all watched as kids, that big event. in each case, we see the various elements recast, either humorously or horrifically.  And this work is no exception.

Tota is a clever, sharp, wisecracking mutt who is still trying to wrap around the through that his beloved Dorothy and the Gales (Henry and Em) turned him right over to Animal Control without much more than a tear and a sigh. Pissed at what being a Good Dog has achieved, he’s considering become a Bad Dog, that is, until the tornado comes roaring in and drops their house on a witch. From then on, we follow the yellow brick road with derivations and changes (the scarecrow is a hedge wizard who got blasted by a witch, the tin man is a unhappy fellow who build a new body for himself, bit by bit. And the cowardly lion? He was being used as a tool in a battle for power in the Beast Kingdom, who wouldn’t kill his vanquished ex-ruler. There are a couple of other characters who come in (including Min, who is not quite a “flying monkey”). They all interact well with Toto, and he makes some laughable sarcastic comments about the entire thing.

I’ll say this – the story was wonderfully “woke”,  with various lefty ideas coming gently into the storyline. And in the end, you get a couple of clues as to who the Wizard really is, which gave me a chuckle. Yes, a real-world butthead. That’s all I’ll say.

Anyway, loved the book. It was funny and sharp and insightful. Check it out.

>>>AND FOLLOW MY GIFT-SHOP ROAD TO MY OWN BOOKS!<<<