When the beloved Princess Ozma vanishes from her locked palace room, simultaneously disabling all major magic across Oz, panic ensues, leaving the land vulnerable and its inhabitants bewildered. Several search parties form, featuring familiar faces like Dorothy, the Wizard, Glinda, and Button-Bright, alongside newcomers like the comical Frogman, venturing into previously unexplored and sometimes perilous regions of Oz. Their parallel quests eventually uncover the culprit: Ugu the Shoemaker, a reclusive magician who stole Ozma and the magic (including a crucial magic dishpan from Cayke the Cookie Cook) in a bid for power. This adventure emphasizes teamwork, resourcefulness in the face of lost abilities, the dangers of unchecked ambition, and the vastness of the Ozian world, culminating in the friends confronting Ugu, rescuing their princess, and restoring order and enchantment to the land.

Rinkitink in Oz follows the adventures of young Prince Inga of Pingaree after his island kingdom is conquered, his parents enslaved, and three powerful magic pearls are stolen. Accompanied by the boisterous, fun-loving (but not particularly brave) King Rinkitink and his wise, talking goat Bilbil, Inga undertakes a perilous journey to rescue his family and recover the pearls from the invaders and eventually the Nome King. Notably, this story was originally written as a non-Oz fantasy, but Baum later added a concluding section where Dorothy Gale and the Wizard of Oz arrive via the Magic Belt to provide a classic Oz-style rescue, defeat the Nome King, restore order, and reveal Bilbil's own surprising royal secret. The tale emphasizes courage, loyalty, perseverance, and features a blend of exciting adventure and whimsical characters typical of Baum's work.

In The Scarecrow of Oz, young Trot and her companion, the retired sailor Cap'n Bill, are swept by a whirlpool from coastal California into a remote, dangerous part of the Land of Oz. They soon encounter Button-Bright (lost again!) and a helpful Ork creature. Their adventure leads them to Jinxland, where the cruel King Krewl has magically frozen the heart of Princess Gloria to prevent her marrying her beloved, Pon, the gardener's boy. Learning of their plight, the ever-resourceful Scarecrow journeys to help, using his cleverness alongside Trot's bravery and eventually Glinda's magic to overthrow the wicked king, restore the rightful couple, and ultimately welcome Trot and Cap'n Bill as new residents of the Emerald City's domain.

In Tik-Tok of Oz, young Betsy Bobbin and her mule Hank are shipwrecked near the Land of Oz and join forces with the Shaggy Man to rescue his brother from the Nome King. Their journey intersects with the comically ambitious Queen Ann of Oogaboo and her inept army, who are also marching to conquer the Nomes. Along the way, they encounter the titular clockwork man Tik-Tok (who needs frequent winding), Polychrome the Rainbow's Daughter, and other fantastical creatures. The story focuses on themes of loyalty, adventure, and the absurdity of conquest, culminating in a clever confrontation with the Nome King where teamwork and resourcefulness, rather than force, save the day and allow Betsy and Hank passage to the Emerald City.

In The Patchwork Girl of Oz, young Munchkin boy Ojo embarks on a crucial quest across Oz after his beloved Unc Nunkie is accidentally turned into a marble statue by a clumsy magician's petrifying potion. To gather the rare ingredients needed for the antidote, Ojo is joined by the newly animated, vivacious, and unpredictable Patchwork Girl (Scraps), made from colourful quilt scraps, and a fascinatingly vain Glass Cat with a visible pink brain. Their journey through strange and wonderful parts of Oz introduces a host of bizarre creatures and challenges their resourcefulness and friendship, particularly when Ojo inadvertently breaks an Oz law. The story focuses on problem-solving, accepting unique individuals, the consequences of one's actions, and teamwork, ultimately leading them to the Emerald City to seek help and justice from Ozma.

In The Road to Oz, Dorothy is back home in Kansas when she meets the kindly, wandering Shaggy Man and tries to help him find the road he seeks, only for them both (along with Toto) to get magically lost. They soon pick up two more lost companions: the perplexing little boy Button-Bright and the beautiful, ethereal Polychrome, daughter of the Rainbow. Their journey takes them through several strange lands with peculiar inhabitants (like Foxville and the Scoodlers) before they eventually arrive in the Emerald City, just in time for Princess Ozma's spectacular birthday celebration. The story is largely a travelogue culminating in a grand party attended by almost every major character from the previous Oz books, emphasizing themes of friendship, kindness (especially through the Shaggy Man's "Love Magnet"), and the simple joy of adventure and community.

This fable tells of a discontented Tortoise who longs to see the world but is too slow. Two Ducks offer to fly him through the air, carrying him on a stick held in his mouth, but warn him explicitly not to speak. Excited by the journey and flattered when a Crow calls him a king, the Tortoise forgets the warning and opens his mouth to boast, causing him to lose his grip, fall to the ground, and perish due to his vanity and inability to follow instructions.

This fable illustrates the dangers of pride and envy when a mother frog, hearing how a huge Ox accidentally crushed one of her young, refuses to believe anything could be so big. In an attempt to match the Ox's size, she puffs herself up bigger and bigger, ignoring her children's warnings that the creature was much larger, until her vanity causes her to burst, teaching a lesson about accepting one's own limitations and the foolishness of trying to be something one is not.

Two best friends, a Dog and a Cock, leave their farm for adventure and spend the night in a hollow tree in the woods. When the Cock crows at dawn, he attracts a hungry Fox who tries to lure him down with false compliments. The clever Cock, however, tells the Fox to ask his "porter" (the Dog) at the base of the tree to let him in. When the unsuspecting Fox approaches the tree's opening, the Dog immediately seizes him, demonstrating how quick thinking and cooperation between friends can overcome danger posed by flattering enemies.

"Kid" tells the story of a destitute, orphaned street boy who survives through petty crime and selling papers. After stealing a valuable watch, guilt and a longing for belonging are sparked when he discovers a baby's picture inside it and later sees a similar image of a mother and child in a church where he seeks refuge. Confessing his theft to a compassionate clergyman, Kid experiences forgiveness, kindness, and care for the first time. The watch owner also forgives him, and Kid is placed in a school, ultimately leaving his harsh past behind to become a respectable man, forever impacted by the maternal image and the second chance he received.