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Book Reviews of My Father's Dragon (My Father's Dragon, Bk 1)

My Father's Dragon (My Father's Dragon, Bk 1)
My Father's Dragon - My Father's Dragon, Bk 1
Author: Ruth Stiles Gannett, Ruth Chrisman Gannett (Illustrator)
ISBN-13: 9780590032285
ISBN-10: 0590032283
Publication Date: 1999
Pages: 77
Rating:
  • Currently 4.4/5 Stars.
 5

4.4 stars, based on 5 ratings
Publisher: Scholastic
Book Type: Paperback
Reviews: Amazon | Write a Review

20 Book Reviews submitted by our Members...sorted by voted most helpful

Psalm150 avatar reviewed My Father's Dragon (My Father's Dragon, Bk 1) on + 275 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
One of our family's favorite books. We liked it so well, we had to go and look for the sequels.
reviewed My Father's Dragon (My Father's Dragon, Bk 1) on + 6 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
This is the first in a trilogy about a little boy who rescues an oppressed baby dragon...very funny, very cute! I read this aloud to my 4,5, and 7 year old boys and they LOVED it!
EagerReaders avatar reviewed My Father's Dragon (My Father's Dragon, Bk 1) on + 29 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
An easy-to-read tale of a boy who sets out to free a dragon and has adventures along the way. A nice tale of using one's head and being prepared.
reviewed My Father's Dragon (My Father's Dragon, Bk 1) on
My eight-year-old reports, "I really liked it! It was funny." This one was gobbled up in the first evening after it arrived.
reviewed My Father's Dragon (My Father's Dragon, Bk 1) on + 371 more book reviews
This is a sonlight book.
grammyteach avatar reviewed My Father's Dragon (My Father's Dragon, Bk 1) on + 192 more book reviews
classic tale with great illustrations
waucondacarol avatar reviewed My Father's Dragon (My Father's Dragon, Bk 1) on + 319 more book reviews
I loved this book as a child. I remember making a diorama for class as part of my book report A wonderful book for children.
ophelia99 avatar reviewed My Father's Dragon (My Father's Dragon, Bk 1) on + 2527 more book reviews
I got a copy of this book to read with my five year old son. It is a very fun and clever childrens read with some great lessons and some wonderful illustrations.

When Elmer Elevator hears about the plight of a poor overworked baby dragon from an old neighborhood cat he is determined to save the dragon. He travels to Wild Island and, through a series of crazy events, saves the dragon from the animals keeping it prisoner.

This book was first published in 1948 and I am amazed at how well it has aged. The writing is fairly simple and is definitely at a younger level but it still made for an excellent story. There are a couple spots where the language is a bit archaic but not many.

Elmer Elevator encounters a number of less than friendly animals and for each encounter he finds a clever (and sometimes hilarious) way to distract the animals. For example he gives the rhino a toothbrush and toothpaste for his very dirty horn and he gives the tigers chewing gum. It was great fun to see how Elmer would combat the next group of animals.

Additionally all the lands have wonderfully fun names. Elmer lives in the land of Popsicornia and travels through Tangerina (known for its tangerines) to get to Wild Island.

Elmer uses cleverness instead of violence or force to get through his adventures. He also frees the poor baby dragon from slavery. All while eating tangerines. The only part of the story parents might object to is the fact that Elmer runs away from his parents at the age of nine to do all of this.

My son loved this book and immediately wanted to start on the second book of the trilogy, Elmer and the Dragon. The pictures throughout are fun and wonderfully done. They match the tone of the story excellently.

Overall a wonderful fantasy read for children. This is a chapter book but is written at a lower reading level that is easy for younger children (5+) to understand even if they cant quite read it yet. Elmer uses cleverness and humor to survive his noble adventure. The wonderful pictures only add to the excellent story. Highly recommended to read with kids, especially those interested in adventure and fantasy.
reviewed My Father's Dragon (My Father's Dragon, Bk 1) on
My third grade teacher read this series to us and i was captivated! This is the best childrens series!!
SusanofGreenGables avatar reviewed My Father's Dragon (My Father's Dragon, Bk 1) on + 618 more book reviews
This book is used in Sonlight Core K.
reviewed My Father's Dragon (My Father's Dragon, Bk 1) on + 122 more book reviews
Sonlight Core K Read-Aloud
reviewed My Father's Dragon (My Father's Dragon, Bk 1) on + 83 more book reviews
"Here is a real delight-a nonsense tale in which the ingenuity of the humor and the logic of the nonsense are irresistible. The text and decorative and amusing black-and-white pictures tell the story of a small boy's trip to rescue an overworked dragon from a jungle island bristling with wild beasts." The New Yorker
JTG avatar reviewed My Father's Dragon (My Father's Dragon, Bk 1) on + 280 more book reviews
Newbery Honor Book
An ALA Notable Book
reviewed My Father's Dragon (My Father's Dragon, Bk 1) on + 141 more book reviews
my 7 yo loved this story.
reviewed My Father's Dragon (My Father's Dragon, Bk 1) on + 260 more book reviews
A group of lazy animals on Wild Island have captured a baby dragon and put him to work. The little dragon can fly, so they are forcing him to act as a flying ferry across a dangerous river. The dragon doesn't like it.

So goes the story that reaches a kind-hearted boy name Elmer Elevator ("my father"). Elmer, carrying a bag of most unusual supplies to beguile the nasty inhabitants of Wild Island and free the dragon is one of the most exciting adventures ever.
reviewed My Father's Dragon (My Father's Dragon, Bk 1) on + 14 more book reviews
Great childrens book.
reviewed My Father's Dragon (My Father's Dragon, Bk 1) on
used in Sonlight kindergarten
reviewed My Father's Dragon (My Father's Dragon, Bk 1) on + 19 more book reviews
all my children fell in love with this whimsical book!
reviewed My Father's Dragon (My Father's Dragon, Bk 1) on + 96 more book reviews
One of my favorites. :-D
aspengrovehomeschool avatar reviewed My Father's Dragon (My Father's Dragon, Bk 1) on + 31 more book reviews
Sonlight core K Read-a-loud