Rinkitink of Oz

L. Frank Baum

Jan 2011 · Oz Book 10 · Reagent Press · Narrated by Ron Knowles

About this audiobook

Rinkitink of Oz is the tenth Oz book. In this story, you meet a kindhearted king named Rinkitink. When the king sails for a visit to the island kingdom of Pingaree, he and his talking goat, Bilbil, are welcomed with open arms. Before long, Rinkitink's lighthearted ways and merry songs endear him to the king and queen of Pingaree, as well as to their son, Prince Inga.

But when the peaceful isle is invaded, everyone from the rulers to the smallest child is taken off in chains. Only Prince Inga, Rinkitink, and Bilbil escape and so the three friends set out--aided by the magical Pearls of Pingaree--to rescue the prince's people. Their dangerous quest takes them across the vast Nonestic Ocean to the dreadful islands of Regos and Coregos to the dark underground domains of the Nome King. Just when they are needed the most, Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz arrive to lend a hand.

About the author

Best known as the author of the Wizard of Oz series, Lyman Frank Baum was born on May 15, 1856, in New York. When Baum was a young man, his father, who had made a fortune in oil, gave him several theaters in New York and Pennsylvania to manage. Eventually, Baum had his first taste of success as a writer when he staged The Maid of Arran, a melodrama he had written and scored. Married in 1882 to Maud Gage, whose mother was an influential suffragette, the two had four sons. Baum often entertained his children with nursery rhymes and in 1897 published a compilation titled Mother Goose in Prose, which was illustrated by Maxfield Parrish. The project was followed by three other picture books of rhymes, illustrated by William Wallace Denslow. The success of the nursery rhymes persuaded Baum to craft a novel out of one of the stories, which he titled The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Some critics have suggested that Baum modeled the character of the Wizard on himself. Other books for children followed the original Oz book, and Baum continued to produce the popular Oz books until his death in 1919. The series was so popular that after Baum's death and by special arrangement, Oz books continued to be written for the series by other authors. Glinda of Oz, the last Oz book that Baum wrote, was published in 1920. Ron Knowles is a professional voice actor with over 20 years experience on TV and Radio. His work has been broadcast on Radio and TV in Canada the U.S. and around the world.