

He began his career as an author after his mother-in-law reportedly encouraged him to write down the nursery rhymes he had told his sons over the years. Frank Baum (1856-1919), was a financially struggling businessman and father of four children living in Chicago. The book's evocative use of the forces of nature in its plots, its invitation to children of all ages to look for the element of wonder in the world around them, and its memorable set of characters, including Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, the Cowardly Lion, and Glinda the Good Witch, had a powerful effect on the American imagination. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, published in 1900, is the first fantasy written by an American to enjoy an immediate success upon publication.
