6 and Up

My Father’s Dragon (First Published in 1948)

Elmer Elevator (narrator’s father as a boy) runs away with an old alley cat to rescue a flying baby dragon being exploited on a faraway island. With the help of two dozen pink lollipops, rubber bands, chewing gum, and a fine-toothed comb, Elmer disarms the fiercest of beasts on Wild Island.

 

This classic story is over 70 years old and people are still loving it. It makes sense that this story was written over 70 years ago because that was the last time someone named their kid Elmer.

 

The story is narrated by Elmer’s child, who tells the story of his father’s adventure to save a baby dragon. There are many threats of violence towards Elmer, but then again, most fairytales are pretty violent when you think about it.

 

My favorite part of the story is all ridiculous things Elmer brings with him on his journey and all the clever ways he uses them to get out of tricky situations. I also love how all the animals can talk, and no one questions it.

 

Just so everyone knows, when the word ‘queer’ is used in this story, it means something is odd.

 

Elmer and the Dragon (First Published in 1950)

On their way home, Elmer and a flying dragon land on an unusual island and help some canaries uncover a buried treasure.

 

The story starts where the first one left off, with Elmer and the dragon flying away from the Island of Tangerina. Unlike the first book, this story is narrated by Elmer himself. Personally, this story was a bit dry compared to the first and third books.

 

The Dragons of Blueland (First Published in 1951)

Before reuniting with his family in Blueland, Boris the baby dragon must summon Elmer to help save his family from hunters.

 

The story starts off with a summary of the first two books then goes on to tell of the baby dragon’s journey home to Blueland. It’s not until later on in the story that you learn that the dragon’s name is Boris.

 

Elmer once again uses an odd assortment of things to rescue the dragons.

 

This story was just as exciting as the first one and is a great conclusion to the series.

 

Favorite sentence from the third book: “Then he went off to talk to the cat.”

 

All three stories became available in one book back in 1987. Since the stories are short, all three can be read in under three hours.

 

Overall, this is a fantastic series that has withstood the test of time and will hopefully be treasured forever.