Three Tales of My Father's Dragon

Three Tales of My Father's Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett

(Summary taken from amazon.com) "The classic fantasy trilogy of Elmer Elevator and the flying baby dragon has delighted children and their parents for generations. Now, on the occasion of their fiftieth anniversary, Random House is proud to bring the three timeless tales together in one beautiful commemorative edition, complete with the original delightful illustrations.  A Newbery Honor Book and an ALA Notable Book, My Father's Dragonis followed by Elmer and the Dragon ("rich, humorous, and thoroughly satisfying"*) and The Dragons of Blueland ("ingenious and plausible, the fantasy well-sustained"*).  Each story stands alone, but read in succession, they are an unforgettable experience.*Library Journal, starred review "

How have I never read this??? Ruth Stiles Gannett wrote it in 1944 and it quickly became a Newberry Honor Book. I went all the way through school, and have now had three children go to second grade, and I haven't heard of it until now. My daughter's second grade teacher had her class read it for their monthly book group. Parents could come too, if they read it. I couldn't be left out so I had to read it!!! Luckily it is a very fast and easy read. It's cute, fun, has some great descriptions, and the kids in the class loved it. It was easy enough for the second graders to read by themselves, and it was very clean. The main character, Elmer Elevator, was cute, resourceful, clever, and had a fun sense of humor. The dragon was a little more whiny than Elmer was, but he had been in captivity, so you can't really fault him. I liked the places they went and the stories told there. Each story taught some very good lessons, and since children are always dreaming about going on adventures, this is a perfect fit. I liked that Elmer worked hard and didn't give up. I didn't love the fact that he just ran away from home, and wasn't ever punished for it, but.....I just talked about that with my daughter and we decided that was not a good choice, and she would never follow his example. I know. I'm crazy. Luckily there aren't any islands with dragons on them anywhere by me, so I think I'm good. I really enjoyed this story and seriously can't believe I've never read it! I definitely recommend it!

Rating: G (Clean!)

Recommendation: Everyone. It would be a fun read-aloud. Reading level second grade.