Great Price for

My father's dragon Review

Elmer Elevator, the narrator's father, is nine years old when he meets a talking alley cat, who tells him about his journey to a Wild Island where a baby dragon is held captive, forced to ferry animals across the river that divides the island. Elmer, annoyed with his mother for being rude to the cat, packs twenty-five peanut butter sandwiches, six apples, and assorted gear and stows away on a ship bound for the nearby Tangerina, then crosses a bridge of rocks to explore the island. There he outwits a succession of fierce animals bound on devouring him and frees the dragon.

This story is masterfully written, in very short chapters that each pack a punch and end with a cliffhanger. The plot points are simple enough that young children will be able to follow them, but clever enough that adults will enjoy the author's absurd sense of humor. It's perfect for children transitioning out of picture books. Published in 1947, it reflects mainly wholesome values of kindness, courage, and generosity, with a naivete that will appeal to children who enjoy this kind of playful fantasy.

Some concerns that parents ought to consider when deciding about this book are that (as in many fantasies of this type) Elmer does disobey his mother by feeding the alley cat and sneaking out for walks with him. He also runs away, and during his travels he lies to some animals in order to protect himself. His mother does relent about the cat, and Elmer never lies outright to his parents, who in a later book welcome him home with glad relief. These moral elements can be dealt with through discussion, but the power of the story is far greater than a conversation. I believe that the warm family relationships, and other positive values in the story outweigh the effect Elmer's rebellion and lying.

All told, this is a positive, funny and lighthearted fantasy with a potentially problematic plot device of lying and running away.

My father's dragon Overview

When Elmer Elevator hears about the plight of an overworked and underappreciated baby flying dragon, he stows away on a ship and travels to Wild Island to rescue the dragon.


From the Trade Paperback edition.

My father's dragon Specifications

My Father's Dragon--a favorite of young readers since the 1940s and a Newbery honor book--captures the nonsensical logic of childhood in an amusingly deadpan fashion. The story begins when Elmer Elevator (the narrator's father as a boy) runs away with an old alley cat to rescue a flying baby dragon being exploited on a faraway island. With the help of two dozen pink lollipops, rubber bands, chewing gum, and a fine-toothed comb, Elmer disarms the fiercest of beasts on Wild Island. The quirky, comical adventure ends with a heroic denouement: the freeing of the dragon. Abundant black-and-white lithographs by Ruth Chrisman Gannett (the author's stepmother) add an evocative, lighthearted mood to an already enchanting story. Author Ruth Stiles Gannett 's stand-alone sequel, Elmer and the Dragon, and her third volume, The Dragons of Blueland both received starred reviews in School Library Journal and are as fresh and original as her first. (Ages 4 to 8)

Available at Amazon Check Price Now!

Related Products

• The Dragons of Blueland (My Father's Dragon)
• Elmer and the Dragon (My Father's Dragon)
• Mr. Popper's Penguins
• Dolphin Adventure:: A True Story
• A Grain of Rice

Customer Reviews

Great Introduction for First Novel - E. Harris -
I read this to my 4 and 6 year olds and they loved it. Captured their imagination and with just enough pictures to assist while still introducing them to a good story without a drawing.




I remember this book and this cover - C. Ruetenik - Los Angeles
This book had a deep effect on me as a young boy of 5 or 6 years of age. I am 57 now, and I still remember my father reading this book to me at least 50 times. This story and the Homer Price stories were my favorites. I highly recommend this story for all young boys, ages 5 to 8.






A wonderful early adventure story - Susan -
We have read the three books in this series to our 4 yr old daughter several times, and each time she has been so riveted that we read all three straight through in one sitting, which adds up to over a hundred pages. These stories find the perfect balance for this age group of language that is delightful yet easily comprehensible and a plot which is riveting yet simple to follow.

*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Aug 30, 2010 02:46:05