Description

Here is the unusual “L Frank Baum’s Juvenile Speaker” book, a series of short stories and poems drawn from various of Baum’s fantasies, including The Road to Oz, Mother Goose in Prose, Dot and Tot in Merryland, Prince Mudturtle and others. Designed as a children’s “elocution” book, it never sold well, and was reissued as “Baum’s Own Book for Children” in 1912, which also didn’t sell well. Both books hard to find, but in my opinion, this earlier one has a much more attractive cover.

Published by Reilly & Britton, 196 pages, 9 3/8″ by 7 1/8″, with many black and white illustrations by John R Neill.

Condition is good, with the main flaw being a small tear in the cloth on the spine. Also with a little fraying at top and base of spine and slight spotting. Front cover art will very nice. Lower corners with a little cloth loss. Inside, ownership markings on front endpaper and on Book Belongs To page in pencil (1911 date also). Hinges are intact. Complete and pages are in nice condition overall, with some light finger soiling. Overall a decent copy of an early and hard to find Baum compendium.