The Magical Monarch of Mo was L. Frank Baum's first children's book, but it never achieved the fame of his later work in Oz. Mo is like Oz in many ways -- it's an unusual land, connected to our world but apart from it, where strange people, talking animals and other creatures abide -- although it has its own identity, too.

The land is ruled by a monarch, and he -- like his people -- is somewhat immortal. They can survive losing their heads, for instance, and severed heads and limbs can be reattached without lingering effects.

I bought this book a long time ago -- honestly, I can't remember when -- when I was exploring the roots of modern fantasy. I remember enjoying it, and then putting it aside. Recently, decades since I last opened my copy of Mo, I found it and put it to use; most nights I read to my 6-year-old twins, and this seemed a delightful option, now that they're passing beyond picture books and are enjoying longer chapter books.

And they love Mo! They ask for it by name, nearly every night, since we started. They ask questions. They sit riveted, staring at the pages even though they're not illustrated, as I read.

The book is divided into 14 chapters, each of which tells a complete story, and they are all very silly. Absurd, even. They revolve around the king, his various sons and daughters, and his subjects, in a land where everything you could want -- fully formed desserts, swords, bicycles, you name it -- grows on trees. There's a spiteful (but not terribly dangerous) purple dragon, there's a wise donkey, there's a neighboring land where giants dwell, another where upside-down people live, and still another populated by civilized monkeys. There are wizards and sorceresses and all kinds of nonsense.

It's just ... fun. I love how excited the kids get when I read it to them. Who knows, maybe someday I'll read it to a grandchild?