My Father's Dragon

This book is a wonderful read for children that are getting better at reading but need shorter chapters. It does have challenging vocabulary because it's an older book, but that's one of the reasons I love it. I wouldn't give it to a child without having somebody there to back them up as they're reading. But it is a wonderful story. and your child will love it.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

I love this book! It’s very well written and imaginative. It’s the perfect nap time book. By the time I’ve read a couple of chapters my little is asleep. 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.