In this sixth Oz book, Baum makes an effort to close down the series and tie up all the various loose ends. Dorothy, driven by financial disaster, brings Aunty Em and Uncle Henry to Oz to live out the rest of their lives in peace with Ozma in the palace. At the same time, Roquat the Red (the old foe of the girls) decides to lay waste to Oz once and for all to retrieve his magic belt. The middle of the book meanders a bit, as Dorothy takes Aunt Em and Uncle Henry on a tour of some of the stranger parts of Oz. The various towns (Cuttenclips, Fuddles, Utensia, etc.) are half puns, half morality plays, but still clever for all of that. Dorothy is a well-written enough character that she can raise a smile even in a ridiculous scene like the one in Bunbury where she is offered a stale wheelbarrow to eat instead of the lunch she was looking for. Pictures not included in this printing.