Tag: Lisbeth Zwerger

Last night, I was discussing The Wizard of Oz with a dear friend and decided it was high time I post about one of my favorite illustrators, beginning with her version of that classic story. I’m guessing most people are familiar with the 1939 film version, The Wizard of Oz, starring Judy Garland. It has garnered a lot of love, references, and little girls wearing ruby slippers over the years. It is a lovely film and I dare not criticize it as many, including myself, enjoy it heartily (except that the real slippers were silver, not ruby!). The original story however was published in 1900 and is quite different from the Hollywoodified version the public at large has come to know. Written by L. Frank Baum and illustrated (masterfully!) by W. W. Denslow, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was a great success and brought thirteen sequels over the course of Baum’s life. The book has been recreated many times with various illustrators, but none have captured my imagination so deeply as this version. So here we have The Wizard of Oz, illustrated by Lisbeth Zwerger in 1996.