A boy goes on an adventure to Wild Island in this 1948 children’s classic. A young boy named Elmer Elevator meets an old alley cat. Elmer confides in the cat that when he grows up he would like to own an airplane. “Would you like to fly very, very much?” askes the alley cat. Elmer certainly would. The cat has an idea. He explains that in his younger days he was quite a traveller. One of his journeys included a place called Wild Island, a place that is mostly jungle and inhabited by very wild animals. A dragon also lives on Wild Island, kept in captivity by the other animals and used to fly across a troublesome river. The cat suggests if Elmer can free the dragon, then he’d certainly be able to travel on his back with no qualms. The cat and the dragon are friends, you see, and Elmer is assured everything would be alright. Inspired by this story, Elmer runs away from home. He stows away on a commercial ship bound for the Island of Tangerina, which is close by Wild Island. When Elmer arrives, his adventures begin immediately and he meets various interesting animals, including some tigers, a rhinoceros, a lion and a gorilla. Finally he manages to find the dragon. American author Ruth Stiles Gannet first published My Father’s Dragon in 1948. Two more books followed in the series. The novel is narrated by Elmer’s daughter, giving the sense of an adult reminscing on old childhood stories their father has told them. The characters of the different animals Elmer meets are charming and delightful. The vain lion that likes to groom himself and tie ribbons in his mane is particularly endearing and funny. Simple, magical storytelling for years 7 + My Father's Dragon, by Ruth Stiles Gannet. Published by Swift Press. $14.99 Review by Chris Saliba Comments are closed.
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