Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Enchanted Buffalo | 1905 | L. Frank Baum | Buy |
| 2 | Prairie-Dog Town | 1906 | L. Frank Baum | Buy |
| 3 | Mr. Woodchuck | 1906 | L. Frank Baum | Buy |
| 4 | Bandit Jim Crow | 1906 | L. Frank Baum | Buy |
| 5 | Sugar-Loaf Mountain | 1906 | L. Frank Baum | Buy |
| 6 | Prince Mud-Turtle | 1906 | L. Frank Baum | Buy |
| 7 | Twinkle’s Enchantment | 1906 | L. Frank Baum | Buy |
These seven short stories and novellas were written by L. Frank Baum in 1905 and 1906, during one of the most productive periods of his career. Most appeared under the pen name Laura Bancroft as the Twinkle Tales, a series of short books for young children. The stories follow a girl named Twinkle and feature talking animals and enchanted settings, from prairie dogs in their underground town to a magical buffalo on the plains.
Titles like Prairie-Dog Town, Mr. Woodchuck, and Bandit Jim Crow show Baum’s skill at writing simple, engaging stories for the youngest readers. Unlike his Oz novels, these tales are set mostly in the American Midwest and draw on the landscape Baum knew from his years in South Dakota and Kansas. Sugar-Loaf Mountain and Prince Mud-Turtle mix fairy tale elements with natural settings, creating stories that feel both familiar and magical.