Subject: Children's SF&F: My Father's Dragon

From: [email-masked] (Joel Finkle)
Date: Fri, 29 Apr 1994 22:06:47 GMT

Children's Science Fiction & Fantasy -- The first in an 
occasional series of reviews

	My love of genre fiction first developed as a fifth 
grader as I stumbled over books, such as the Chronicles of 
Narnia, as I wandered around the library. Once I realized the 
wonderful possibilities of this kind of book, my interest in 
Nancy Drew disappeared forever as I systematically devoured 
the children's section of the local library. I also began 
what has become an extensive collection of children's books 
of my own. 
	From the time my first son was born, I have been excited 
about passing on the marvels I have found in books. However, 
I have often been unsure of where to start, what is new 
and/or currently available, and how young is it possible to 
start with novels. 
	I now have two sons, ages six and three, and feel that I 
am in a better position to answer these questions. If you are 
interested in reading novels to your children or just feel 
you may have missed something interesting as a kid, please 
read these brief reviews of books old and new and then find 
the books and start reading.
	A good introduction to a book with chapters and limited 
pictures is the three-book series by Ruth Stiles Gannett. 
These books run under 90 pages each and have illustrations on 
almost every pair of pages. These books are suitable to 
reading to a child around the age of 4, although older 
children are also likely to enjoy the stories. They are also 
easy enough for a fairly beginner reader who is ready to 
tackle a novel on their own. These books were originally 
published in the late 1940's, but have fairly recently re-
released by Alfred A. Knopf publishers.	
	My Father's Dragon -- This book tells the story of a 
boy's father when he was a boy. The thing this boy wanted 
most in life was to fly. One day he befriends an old cat who 
tells him of a baby dragon who is held captive by the animals 
of wild island. The boy decides to rescue the dragon so he 
can fly on his back. With a backpack of odds and ends, the 
boy stows away on a ship and starts a series of adventures 
that eventually allow him to rescue the dragon and fly 
towards home. 
	Elmer and the Dragon -- The second book picks up where 
the first ended. On the way home from Wild Island, the boy 
(Elmer) and the dragon get lost in a storm and end up on an 
island inhabited by canaries which have escaped from cages. 
They meet King Can XI, who like all his ancestors is 
literally dying of curiosity because of a secret treasure 
only the kings know about. With the help of Elmer and the 
dragon, the mystery of the treasure is resolved and the pair 
continue back to Elmer's home. The dragon decides to head 
back home to Blueland to be with his family.	
	The Dragons of Blueland -- In the third book, the dragon 
arrives home to find his family captured by dragon hunters. 
He goes back to find Elmer and get his assistance. Together 
the pair manage to trick the hunters and free the dragon's 
family. 
	The plots of all three books are fast paced and quirky. 
This accompanied by some delightful illustrations by the 
author should be enough to keep a small child's attention. 
They can be read aloud all in one sitting if you and your 
child have the time and patience to sit through about an hour 
of reading. Otherwise, they are easily broken into smaller 
sections. The illustrations include maps which help children 
visualize the story better.    

Author: 	Ruth Stiles Gannett
Titles:		My Father's Dragon	ISBN-0-394-89048-5
	  	Elmer and the Dragon	ISBN-0-394-89049-3
	  	The Dragons of Blueland	ISBN-0-394-89050-7

Sue Finkle c/o [email-masked]

%A Ruth Stiles Gannett
%T My Father's Dragon
%G ISBN-0-394-89048-5

%A Ruth Stiles Gannett
%T Elmer and the Dragon
%G ISBN-0-394-89049-3

%A Ruth Stiles Gannett
%T The Dragons of Blueland
%G ISBN-0-394-89050-7