L. Frank Baum was born near Syracuse, New York in 1856. He was shy and sickly as a boy and remained in poor health through most of his life.

As a boy and a teenager, he started newspapers and a magazine, then managed theaters for his father who had grown wealthy. However, after he married, the family lost its money, so he moved to the Dakota plains. He operated a store which failed, then a newspaper which failed. Then he became a traveling salesman for a china company.

At the age of 41, L. Frank Baum published his first children's book. It was successful and he continued to write popular children's books for the rest of his life. He is most remembered for his stories about the magical land of Oz.