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Author: Baum, L. Frank
Title: The Wizard of Oz Waddle Book
Place Published: New York
Publisher:Blue Ribbon Books
Date Published: [c. 1934]
Description:

[8], 211 pp. Illustrated with 8 color plates by W.W. Denslow with text on the versos; black & white illustrations in the text and some full page; 6 color die-cut waddle toys on card stock (4 still bound in, 2 are detached as a unit); how-to assemble directions on the last 3 pages. 22.5x17.5 cm (9x7"), olive-green cloth, color pictorial cover label, color pictorial jacket. First Edition, First State.

Rare waddle book version of the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, complete with the rare six die-cut "waddle toys," in their flat cardboard panel state, never removed or assembled. Four are still attached to stubs between pages 46/47, 94/95, with the two between pages 143/144 detached from the stub but still attached to each other. The waddle toys are printed in colors on a thin stock cardboard and intended to be assembled with metal hip connectors, 8 of which are present in a small envelope as issued. Also included is the folding yellow brick road/ramp, likewise unassembled and never used, and the original instructional envelope which holds the die-cut ramp and a wrap-around band which proclaims: "Under this band in the large envelope, you will find an ingenious runway. It can be set up by any child and will form a perfect base on which to set the Waddle Characters. Just place them on this runway, tap them gently to side and off they will go, walking all by themselves, without the aid of any mechanical power..." A very rare example, in the original dust jacket, with all six of the Waddles present along with the ramp and its envelope and the wrap-around band This is the first state of the book, with publisher's imprint at foot of spine. Hanff & Greene I, pp. 35-36, Plate 7.

Jacket with rubbing to joints and edges, ships to spine ends and corners, and lower edge of front panel; small piece missing front wrap-around band and minor creasing; overall near fine.