3 out of 4 stars
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Of The Woods is a fictional book written by Dennis Sanchez. It is set around the Cottonwood Family, who while on their adventures enlist the help of the revamped characters from the The Wizard of Oz. The adventure leads to a few familiar places and several familiar faces.
Papa, Mama, and their children Spruce, Sophie, and Redbud start off as one tree. They are a Family Tree. Until they are chopped into five pieces by the Tinman. In true Oz tradition, the five logs are swept up by a twister in the land of Oz and carried off to Europe. They are taken in by a master sculptor of wood and artful painter, Miguel who transforms them into moving beings. When the children's parents are taken in the night, the Cottonwood children set off with Dorthy, Scarecrow, and Toto to find and rescue them.
I give this book 3 out of 4 stars. I enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it. It is listed as a children's book, but as a parent I would not read it to my younger children. I think younger children would have a hard time grasping the story. There are intimate scenes between the parents and also some lusty moments between the parents and other characters that I feel are inappropriate for younger children.
The characters are well written. They fit in well with the known characters of Oz. Each of the Cottonwoods have a full and distinct personality. The story is different and interesting. It flows from one scene to the next with no time for the story to lag or get dull. Mr. Sanchez seems to has a sharp sense of humor and it comes through in this story.
My favorite part of this book is the surprising references to other story characters. It amazed me how many Mr. Sanchez was able to fit into this short book. From Wonderland to Sherlock Holmes to Moby Dick, the pages were filled with well loved characters. My only negative comment about this book is that at times it feels like the story is set in or around the nineteenth century, as men wearing wigs and food cooking over fires are mentioned. Then more modern things such as tablets and fishnet stockings pop up.
Mr. Sanchez has taken these classic characters, dusted them off, and given them new life. In a fast paced and witty story that will charm you from beginning to end.
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Of the Woods
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