The Library of Congress exhibit of L. Frank Baum’s classic, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, contains anecdotes from the life of the author including his relief over the book’s success, his earlier works, a copyright application and an early New York Times review, among other fascinating tidbits.
The book is described as “the first totally American fantasy for children.” Though many people are better acquainted with the 1939 movie version starring Judy Garland as Dorothy, the story has been translated into several languages and been re-framed into countless dramatizations in many countries.
The Youtube video below shows the reactions of children in Kabul, Afghanistan to the 1939 movie version of the tale. I don’t want to comment about the potential implications of showing this particular movie to those particular children. I’m interested in the stories that knit us all together as citizens of planet Earth no matter how naïve that might seem. I’m old enough to have lived through several episodes of my own descent into cynicism. If we can laugh at the same jokes and cry over the same stories, there is hope for us yet.
2 responses to “Wonder Never Ceases”
Loved the video, Cathrin. I often wonder how much better off we would be if we took the time to hear each others’ stories. Do we try as hard to listen to the stories of Afghanistan as we do to have them hear our stories?
Loved the video, Cathrin. I often wonder how much better off we would be if we took the time to hear each others’ stories. Do we try as hard to listen to the stories of Afghanistan as we do to have them hear our stories?