Book Review: My Fathers Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett

Summary:

Elmer meets a stray tabby cat who tells him of a mysterious island where a baby dragon is held captive by the forest animals. Elmer packs a small backpack of odds and ends and sets out to free the baby dragon. Can Elmer outsmart the animals and save the sweet little dragon using only 24 pink lollipops, some rubber bands and a hair comb?

My thoughts:

This book was darling. The bad guys aren't scary or bad as much as they are selfish or impatient, so if your child scares easily, this one is a good book for you. The heroes are absolutely sweet. It was really enjoyable to see how Elmer dealt with his problems in a clever and unexpected way. It reminded me of how my friends and I used to play make believe when we were little. The entire book is innocent and charming.

Why this book is important to read:

This was the first chapter book I read to my children. The chapters are short, the illustrations are sweet, and the plot holds them captive. It is a great way to transition your child to the world of novels. After this book, my son was genuinely interested when I asked if he wanted to read other, harder books (I think we read Wizard of Oz next).

Supplemental material:

There are three books that complete the story of Elmer, so this book will finish quickly, but your child will be held hungry to see how it all ends. I found a cute site that has a whole bunch of supplemental materials for your child to use while you read. You can make your own backpack with cut outs of Elmers supplies. There are coloring pages and other activities. Find them here:
http://www.homeschoolshare.com/my_fathers_dragon.php