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How did W.W. Denslow’s illustrations contribute to the success of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz?

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Illustration by W.W. Denslow showing Dorothy comforting the Cowardly Lion on a yellow brick road, with Toto, the Tin Woodsman, and the Scarecrow nearby in a forest. — The Wonderful Wizard of Oz An illustrated page by W.W. Denslow in L. Frank Baum's *The Wonderful Wizard of Oz*.

W.W. Denslow’s contributions were instrumental to the immediate success of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. His lavish illustrations were highly popular with readers, helping the book become an immediate best seller upon its release in 1900.1