Three Tales of My Father's Dragon

Three delightful stories about a dragon and the boy who rescues him written in a very straightforward, matter-of-fact way, even when it is about, say, getting tigers to chew gum. The book is a collection of stories originally published separately: My Father's Dragon, Elmer and the Dragon, and The Dragons of Blueland. In the first story, a boy goes on a journey to rescue a dragon, who is being kept as means of transportation on an island of talking animals. It just so happens that the things the boy packs for his trip, which seem completely random and useless at the time, are exactly what he needs to achieve his goal.

Cute little story(s) about a boy and a dragon, and the old alley cat who starts the whole thing. The dragon is as intelligent, and about as adult, as the 9-year-old boy - so are a great many other creatures, from lions to cows to canaries, that the two of them deal with. The stories' origin as bedtime stories seems clear to me - there's also mention of another story that's not told, about Flute the canary and how he was released. A very enjoyable children's book.

I read this with my 4 year old daughter and we both really enjoyed it. It's very silly, but also pretty suspenseful at places. I do remember one place where I had to change a word that struck me as problematic (racist), but I don't remember what or where it was.

Delightful read and my daughter and I are already planning on reading it again.

It is no wonder this book has remained loved and recommended. The narrative style reads like a storyteller, describing their childhood as a bedtime story. The plot and description are simple, evocative and easy to understand, making it appeal to a wide range of readers and listener. Adventurous, tender and innocent, this set of three tales are an excellent introductory collection to fantasy.

My first choice for first chapter books. The gentle magic and amazing story makes parents and children smile.

This was a lovely book. My Vintage Book Circle group all loved it. We liked the dragons a lot. I remember being so amazed at how prepared he was. He had just the right thing for every circumstance! One person said this was the book that made her become a librarian. We all thought that it would capture the imagination of children today despite the fact that it was written in 1948. Excellent first chapter book for third graders, I would think.

Writing styles for children's books have change over time; and many books don't age well. This one (actually these since it's a series of three books and not just one) is not one of them. While the stories were written around the mid-40s, they're whimsical enough and aimed at a young enough crowd to not feel too out of place in today's world. Overall they were fun reads for my family. My kids enjoyed hearing the stories, and I enjoyed the glimpse back into a simpler world.