Apr 22, 2008

My Father's Dragon - An Epic Adventure

My Father's Dragon is the first book in a trilogy written by Ruth Stiles Gannett back in the late 1940's and early 1950's. It tells the tale of Elmer Elevator, a smart and sensitive boy, and his quest to help rescue a young dragon on Wild Island. Elmer is first visited by an old alley cat who tells him of the dragon's plight and convinces him to use logic and creativity to help free the dragon from slavery. Elmer is told to pack some very specific things such as... " chewing gum, two dozen pink lollipops, a package of rubber bands, black rubber boots, a compass, a tooth brush and a tube of tooth paste..." as well as several other items that will help him along the way.

Children will really be surprised to discover the creative ways that Elmer uses the items in his knapsack to get out of some tricky situations!

With its richly descriptive text, engaging drawings and humor these stories are truly hard to put down. Detailed maps allow the reader to follow Elmer to his many destinations (Tangerina, Popsicornia & Nevergreen City).

Despite being written over 50 years ago, these stories are fresh, exciting and just one or two chapters are a perfect bedtime treat.