The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum is widely acclaimed as the first truly American fairy tale. Though other American authors had written fairy tales prior to Baum, theirs were styled after traditional European tales, with princes and princesses, dire consequences and fearful morals. Baum was the first to craft a wonderland out of uniquely American concepts and familiar items. A cornfield scarecrow, mechanical tin woodman, and a wizard who uses ingenuity and old-fashioned hokum captured America's turn-of-the-century enthusiasm and optimism.

"The time has come for a series of new 'wonder tales' in which the stereotyped genie, dwarf and fairy are eliminated, together with all the horrible bloodcurdling incident devised by their authors to point a fearsome moral to each tale." This is not to say that The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is without morals or theme. As The New York Times reviewer pointed out, the story includes "stray bits of philosophy" that have indeed been for more than four generations "a moving power of the child mind."

Though Baum emphasized the virtues of wisdom and love, he seems unsure which is more valuable, allowing his characters to debate the matter. He clearly states his view of what true courage is, however, when the Wizard tells the Cowardly Lion, "There is no living thing that is not afraid when it faces danger. True courage is in facing danger when you are afraid."