Oz-like oceanic quest by the title character--with stunning illustrations by Elenore Plaisted Abbott and Helen Alden Knipe...7 gorgeous color plates (several featuring a beautifully rendered owl), scads of silhouettes, black-and-white intext drawings, chapter heads and chapter page illustrations. Color cover art by Alexander Key. Abbott and Knipe and Key were all very significant illustrators for children's books. According to the website Wannabe Wonderlands: Outside of Oz, Sabin's tale does not measure up to its apparent inspiration (Baum and the Oz books), but the illustrations are simply magnificent. The book first appeared as THE MAGICAL MAN OF MIRTH in 1910, was retitled and reissued in 1920 as FLY-AWAY WONDER TALES, and then appeared in this edition as DOLLIE'S BIG DREAM or THE MAGICAL MAN OF MIRTH. Knipe's and Abbott's illustrations had appeared in the original book and reappear here.
"Sorrow and gloom hang heavy over the City of Mirth. The Queen fired her
High Magician for being too low (short) but before he left, he cursed
them with misery and darkness.Little Dollie Lane with wasp tongued Miss Martha Slate (a talking
chalkboard) arrive on the wings of Sir Oliver Owl (the wisest creature
in the universe) and determine to set things right. Before joy can be
returned to Mirth, they must find the wicked Magical Man and destroy
him.
Their quest takes them under the sea where they meet the usual
assortment of misfits little girls find on these travel---Ann Gora the
ghost cat, Lieutenant Lobster, Lottie the Pilot Fish, some mermaids,
seals, etc.---while they acquire the ingredients for the potion to
destroy the villain. After a number of adventures that fail to fully
ignite, they are pursued by a monster that bites Dollie's pocket
containing the potion. The monster is unmasked and revealed to be the
dying and remorseful magician. He expires within a page or two and
there's nothing left to do but return to the City of Mirth for a little
rejoicing and well deserved rewards before taking Dollie back home to
her Mama."--Wannabe Wonderlands: Outside of Oz