Lyman Frank Baum (1856-1919) was an American writer of children's books, best known for creating the marvelous Land of Oz in "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz". This fanciful kingdom was catalogued in a series of children's books beginning with the publication of "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz". Baum's Oz series compasses the first fully developed fantasy world created by an American author. In 1900, Baum and Denslow, famous illustrator with whom he shared the copyright, published "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz", making it one of the first commercially successful uses of color illustrations in American publishing. Dorothy and her friends soon began their journey toward becoming an integral part of the American consciousness. "The Magic of Oz" is the thirteenth Land of Oz book. The tale recounts a boy named Kiki who has discovered a magical world that can transform him and anyone else into whatever he commands. Kiki has been recruited by the corrupt Nome King, Ruggedo, in an attempt to conquer the Land of Oz, Princess Ozma, and all her friends.