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My Father's Dragon Paperback – December 27, 2005

4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 4,650 ratings

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The Newbery Honor-winning classic about a daring dragon rescue!

When Elmer Elevator hears about the baby dragon being held captive on Wild Island, he knows just what to do. First, he packs his knapsack with important supplies, like chewing gum, lollipops, and lots of rubberbands. Then he stows away on a ship headed for theisland. Along the way, Elmer meets many exotic animals. Each tries to sidetrack him, but Elmer has sometricks up his sleeve . . . or more precisely, in his knapsack. One way or another, he will rescue the dragon!

First published in 1948,
My Father’s Dragon has delighted generations of young readers. It is classic storytelling at its finest.

AN ALA NOTABLE BOOK 
A COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS TEXT EXEMPLAR IN APPENDIX B 

"A real delight." —
The New Yorker 

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Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.

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Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

When Elmer Elevator hears about the plight of an overworked and underappreciated baby flying dragon, he stows away on a ship and travels to Wild Island to rescue the dragon.

About the Author

RUTH STILES GANNETT wrote My Father's Dragon just a few years after her graduation from Vassar College in 1944. It was an immediate success, becoming a Newbery Honor Book, and was soon followed by two sequels, Elmer and the Dragon and The Dragons of Blueland. All three dragon stories have been continuously in print in the more than 40 years since their publication. The author's other books include Katie and the Sad Noise and The Wonderful House-Boat- Train. She is married to the artist and calligrapher Peter Kahn. They have seven daughters and seven grandchildren. Visit her online at www.myfathersdragon.org.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0440421217
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Yearling; Reprint edition (December 27, 2005)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 96 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9780440421214
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0440421214
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 4 - 7 years, from customers
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 970L
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ 3 - 7
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.4 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.19 x 0.23 x 7.56 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 4,650 ratings

About the author

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Ruth Stiles Gannett
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Ruth Stiles Gannett Kahn (born August 12, 1923) is an American children's writer best known for My Father's Dragon and its two sequels that are sometimes collectively referred to as the My Father's Dragon series).

Bio from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4,650 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers enjoy the delightful and whimsical story. They find the book fun to read and easy for kids of all ages to understand. The chapter book content is simple and easy to follow, with nice short chapters. Readers appreciate the clever story about imaginative tricks and interactions with various animals. However, opinions differ on the illustrations - some find them amazing and superb, while others say they're blurry and the cover looks like a printed color version.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

245 customers mention "Story quality"233 positive12 negative

Customers enjoy the story. They find it delightful, whimsical, and clever. Many consider it a classic and a recommended summer reading book.

"...It's a timeless classic that never gets old, leaving you wanting more...." Read more

"...I am happy to read these books over and over to my son because the story is good and Elmer is a good role model...." Read more

"This is a wonderful adventure story. My children loved it and kept asking for “one more chapter”...." Read more

"...Charming illustrations and engaging story make this Newbery Honor Book a delight for kids" Read more

197 customers mention "Readability"182 positive15 negative

Customers enjoy the book's readability. They find it fun and exciting for kids to read themselves, making it a great read-aloud for first graders. The story is interestingly written and opens up many imagination conversations for all ages.

"...A dragon ride is even better than an airplane ride. This sounds wonderful to Elmer, and he takes off on an adventure to the Wild Island. “..." Read more

"My Father's Dragon is a joy to read aloud, thanks to its charming language and engaging plot...." Read more

"Elmer Elevator's quest to fly leads to a comic adventure on Wild Island!..." Read more

"...kids are just past beginner readers I think it’s the perfect book for them to read themselves. One chapter, one animal, one problem, one solution...." Read more

67 customers mention "Book for kids"60 positive7 negative

Customers find the book engaging for kids of all ages. They say it's creative and kid-friendly, with plenty of pictures. Readers mention it's great for reading level 3rd grade and up. The subtext keeps children engaged without being overly wordy.

"...Perfect for reading to a 4 year old and a great chapter book for older children." Read more

"...This is perfect for 2-3 graders." Read more

"...Very creative and kid friendly." Read more

"...this may not be the best book for me, but it's probably a great book for younger kids...." Read more

60 customers mention "Chapter book content"60 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the simple and easy-to-read chapter book content. They find it fun and easy to introduce children to chapter books with fantastical imagery and short chapters. The book is a great bedtime read and provides good supplemental material for book clubs.

"...n't have to twist my arm to get me to agree that this is a perfect first chapter book. It's a good length...." Read more

"...He surprisingly really liked it. The chapters are short enough that we would read 2-3 at one sitting...." Read more

"...Was looking for something that would be a good read for a 2nd grader. I liked the reviews that I read of this book...." Read more

"Great introduction to chapter books for young readers...." Read more

14 customers mention "Love of animals"14 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's imaginative story about animals in creative ways. They appreciate the wacky animal behaviors and multiple encounters with different types of animals. The ending is a favorite for readers, who find it funny and quirky.

"...was interesting and creative and there were multiple encounters with different types of animals that were written in a way that were not scary..." Read more

"...When we were finished, she was delighted with the ending and asked for me to read it again, and then again...." Read more

"...was telling me everything about his favorite chapters and especially loved the ending. He said the ending was amazing...." Read more

"...Easy to navigate and nothing strange about the edition. It reads very quickly. It is a good book to read in the car or at bedtime." Read more

85 customers mention "Illustrations"49 positive36 negative

Customers have different views on the illustrations in the book. Some find them imaginative and well-done, with pictures about every two pages. Others mention blurry or missing illustrations, with fewer pictures than expected.

"...Charming illustrations and engaging story make this Newbery Honor Book a delight for kids" Read more

"...There are some pages without any pictures, but no more than one spread in a row is without a picture, which helps keep his interest...." Read more

"...Perfect amount of pictures to keep him captivated and enough text for my reading voice to lull him to sleep. Very creative and kid friendly." Read more

"...The pictures are grainy. Very disappointed as i bought two of these to be able to read with my nephews in a different state." Read more

20 customers mention "Value for money"10 positive10 negative

Customers have different views on the book's value. Some find it a good price and a great children's book, while others consider it cheaply self-published or a knock-off with an out-of-focus cover.

"...He read one chapter every night, he likes the story. Worth the price." Read more

"So dumb, it’s not worth it. If I were you I would not buy it. I would buy something more advanced. My SECOND grader asked the teacher to not read it...." Read more

"Great children’s book. Good price. Speedy delivery." Read more

"My Father's Dragon This is a cheap, self-published (and possibly copyright infringing) edition of the book...." Read more

10 customers mention "Length"5 positive5 negative

Customers have different views on the book's length. Some find it a good length for a quick bedtime story, and the length makes them feel like big kids. Others say it's too short and the first 10 pages are not the right length.

"...A chapter is a great length for a quick bedtime story, although we usually end up reading two or three chapters...." Read more

"...The books are fairly short so I would recommend ordering the full series up front" Read more

"...It's a good length. The illustrations are beautiful, by the way. They're very, very well done." Read more

"We read about a chapter book a week; this one is a rare gem. It was short, but was SO fun...." Read more

Grainy & out of focus covert art - some kind of secondary / out-sourced print job maybe?
3 out of 5 stars
Grainy & out of focus covert art - some kind of secondary / out-sourced print job maybe?
Not a review of the book, but of the cover graphic - blurry and grainy printing. Not sure why.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on August 15, 2024
    A boy, Elmer meets a stray cat on his street. He asks if the cat would like to come home with him and the cat accepts the invitation. Elmer’s mother is not happy about the cat and refuses to give him any milk. Elmer hides the cat in the cellar and when his mother finds out about it, she whips Elmer and throws the cat out into the street. Elmer and the cat met up later and as they are walking in the park and they see an airplane in the sky. Elmer tells him that more than anything he wants to fly in an airplane. The cat tells Elmer about a poor dragon that is being held captive on the Wild Island and if he was to rescue him, he might be able to get a dragon ride in the sky. A dragon ride is even better than an airplane ride. This sounds wonderful to Elmer, and he takes off on an adventure to the Wild Island.
    “My Fathers Dragon” was one of my favorite books as a child. I loved the way Elmer was able to outsmart all the jungle animals to get to the dragon and the best part was the maps in the back of the book. After each chapter I would look at the maps to see where all the action took place. My 8-year-old grandson enjoyed the book and wants to read more in the series. The language can be old-fashioned and the cruelty to both the boy and the animals might upset some children. It is a classic in my opinion.
    4 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on May 23, 2024
    My Father's Dragon is a joy to read aloud, thanks to its charming language and engaging plot. It's a timeless classic that never gets old, leaving you wanting more. In fact, it's become a go-to gift for new parents and new grandparents in my circle – a delightful way to spark a love of reading in their little ones as it did for my boys. Highly recommend if this is not already in your library for 'read-aloud' books.
    4 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on March 24, 2019
    We bought the whole series (My Father's Dragon, Elmer and the Dragon, The Dragons of Blueland) for our 3 year old son. He LOVES these books. We have read them at least five times each since buying them a couple weeks ago. A chapter is a great length for a quick bedtime story, although we usually end up reading two or three chapters. Just so you know, this book is larger in size than the other two. The cover illustration even looks like it was resized a bit too large.

    There are some pages without any pictures, but no more than one spread in a row is without a picture, which helps keep his interest. Additionally, the pictures are well-placed so that if anything happens that kids might find scary (like Elmer meeting hungry tigers in My Father's Dragon) there is a picture that shows that everything is okay on that same page. My son hates conflict in books, or for things to be too scary, so I feel like these books strike a great balance. Nobody (Elmer, the Dragon, any animals they meet) gets injured or eaten, they just get bested with clever solutions.

    In these books, Elmer is kind, helpful, and resourceful. I am happy to read these books over and over to my son because the story is good and Elmer is a good role model. I would recommend this series highly as a first chapter book series to read aloud to any child.
    12 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on October 19, 2023
    This is a wonderful adventure story. My children loved it and kept asking for “one more chapter”. My only reason for giving it 4 stars is the formatting of the kindle version. The pictures are super small and there were a few spelling mistakes. Otherwise, awesome!
    3 people found this helpful
    Report
  • Reviewed in the United States on July 24, 2024
    I purchased book to read to my grandson on a recent stay. Perfect for reading to a 4 year old and a great chapter book for older children.
  • Reviewed in the United States on July 25, 2024
    So the dragon was being hostage but the dad saved it and the other animals where putting the things that where holding the dragon hostage.the end 🥳
  • Reviewed in the United States on January 1, 2025
    Elmer Elevator's quest to fly leads to a comic adventure on Wild Island! Charming illustrations and engaging story make this Newbery Honor Book a delight for kids
  • Reviewed in the United States on March 17, 2023
    One of the first chapter books I read to my kids during our read-alouds. They devoured it. I highly recommend this book! Aside from a small part in the beginning my where the boys mom I think kicks (?) a cat or something I don’t think there is anything questionable. It’s about trekking through a wild animal infested island to save a dragon. The young boy uses his wits to get past each animal (one per chapter). He just talks his way through with whatever he has on hand. It’s so cute.

    Once the kids are just past beginner readers I think it’s the perfect book for them to read themselves. One chapter, one animal, one problem, one solution. So cute and clever.
    10 people found this helpful
    Report

Top reviews from other countries

  • A.A
    5.0 out of 5 stars First Chapter Book was a Hit!
    Reviewed in Canada on January 28, 2022
    This is the first time reading a chapter book with my 4 year old and he was so happy to read a "big kid book". It's the perfect length and the vocabulary is challenging but definitely still accessible to younger readers and listeners. It was whismical and silly and kept his attention. The characters are lovable and sweet and we really made such nice memories reading this book together. We're going to read the sequels now!
  • Muhammed Rihan
    4.0 out of 5 stars The Book
    Reviewed in the United Arab Emirates on August 6, 2024
    This story is very big but the print is black and white i would suggest color pages
  • Shikha
    5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing one !
    Reviewed in India on July 7, 2023
    My seven years old daughter loved it.
  • Mr A.
    5.0 out of 5 stars 😍🥰😘
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 30, 2020
    I 😍 it so much!
    Fave part was where the 🐊 swam of in a line with the animals!
    I really want the 2nd 📖!!!
  • Stuart McKleaine
    5.0 out of 5 stars Childhood memories.
    Reviewed in Australia on December 23, 2024
    Bought for a friend's daughter. She enjoyed it.