The fifth story of Oz and the fourth detailing the magical travels of Dorothy, Baum takes the young Kansas girl and her dog Toto on a circuitous journey to Oz for Princess Ozma's birthday. She begins the adventure in an attempt to help a stranger, the Shaggy Man, find the road he seeks, and they are joined on their way by a perpetually lost boy named Button Bright and a fairy called Polychrome, daughter of a Rainbow. Through a series of encounters with foxes, donkeys, and other characters, both new and familiar, the group braves the Deadly Desert to reach the Emerald City for the royal birthday celebration. Baum continues his tradition of charming Oz stories in a tale that ultimately takes its characters where they wish to go, but not always simply by the 'right' road.
