Children's Book Review: "My Father's Dragon"

by Ruth Stiles Gannett (published in 1948)
illustrated by Ruth Chrisman Gannett (the author's stepmom!)

My goodness, how I love this book!?!? Let me not count thee ways and just tell ya about it!

I grew up reading this book religiously! Young Amanda just loved the pictures, loved the story and loved loved the map! I was a fool for maps as a young one! And this book has the grand-daddy of all awesome maps in it!

Now this story follows the writer's father, Elmer Elevator, and his mysterious and adventure-packed journey to Wild Island to save a baby dragon from the grips of the wild and very very mean animals of Wild Island! Now Mr. Elmer Elevator is a very smart and cunning young boy and equipped with his street smarts, thinking prowess, and very well packed backpack, he makes his journey possible!

Such a lovely map!

Now not to give away the whole story, since it is only 10 chapters long, this story is great! A definite 5/5! There is a sequel and I think even a third book to the series, of which I haven't read yet! Perhaps I'll read 'em and continue to review the series!

But really this book is such a sweet little thing, easy to read, filled with beautiful pictures and filled with cool exotic animals ... who can talk! AWESOME!! oh yeah, and a DRAGON!!! Can't get better than that really.

Thank you Ruth Stiles Gannett, you made my childhood awesome!