Author: Ruth Stiles Gannett Illustrator: Ruth Chrisman Gannett
Dover, 2014 (originally Random House, 1948)
Softcover, 80 Page Chapter Book Grades 3-4
Kindhearted Elmer Elevator rescues a stray cat and tells it he wants to fly in an airplane when he grows up. ‘You don’t need to wait that long to fly,’ replies the cat. It tells Elmer of an enslaved baby dragon on Wild Island; if he frees it, the cat says, the dragon will surely let young Elmer take flight.
This is a charming and entertaining Newbery Honor book.
His heart wrung in sympathy for the poor baby dragon, Elmer (the titular “my father”) sets off to rescue it from the mean animals of Wild Island. Each of his adventures – from stowing away on a boat to getting lollipop-loving crocodiles to form a bridge across a muddy river – is narrated in one fast-moving chapter. But will Elmer’s courage and ingenuity be enough to free the dragon?
My Father’s Dragon was written in 1948, so the pacing is a little slower than the modern chapter book. But the story doesn’t drag; it just starts out a bit earlier in Elmer’s journey and takes a little more time along the way.
This is a charming and entertaining Newbery Honor book. Ms. Gannett does a wonderful job of creating a world where all animals talk, lions are obsessed with the stylishness of their manes, and boars restlessly fret over the security of their island. Even though it doesn’t sustain the gag-a-minute pace of some of today’s bestsellers, I think children will be enthralled with the story.
Elmer is a great character: he’s empathetic, resourceful, courageous, and very practical for a small boy. We see mainly vignettes of the other characters in the book, but they’re vivid and well-drawn. The illustrations echo the style and content of fairy tales, adding to the book’s fantastical feel.
Potentially sensitive themes: Mentions of cruelty and animal abuse.
My Father’s Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannet gets 4 ½ stars from this reviewer.