This collection was a grab bag. It collects a selection of Baum's non-Oz works. Two of them I really didn't like because they were either dated or just boring. They could have taken out on of them and add Baum's Santa story instead (which I had to find on my own). The other stories were good read though. If you want to read any of these, I suggest reading them after you finish all 14 Oz books. You can read them anytime you want, but to me it just makes more sense to wait after. Not sure if this collection is even available anymore or where you can find these tales. In book stores it's hard to find the full Oz books. Nevertheless, if you are into children's literature I still recommend Baum's writings. ( )

A sort of third wheel to the Oz collection, Wonder Tales acts as the third volume. It does not contain Oz stories, but does contain some other fantastic work by Baum, including some Button-Bright stories (and, if you've read the Oz chronicles, you would know that Button-Bright becomes a denizen).

The stories, some of which have crossovers in the Oz series, are all delightful. They're written for children, but any adult could enjoy them as well (especially since they were written before every popular book had to have a 4th grade reading level). The prose, while light-hearted and fun may challenge a reader used to having easy to swallow words and a pre-digested plot. Though, it's worlds easier to understand than something written by Joyce.

If you're looking to complete your collection of Baum works, this is definitely a needed addition. If you want a collection of stories that can be read and enjoyed by children and adults alike, I recommend you pick up this book. ( )