Plot: Elmer Elevator longs to fly one day. While he expects he will have to wait until he is grown up to reach his dream, a stray cat offers another way. On Wild Island, a baby dragon is forced by lazy jungle animals to work as a ferry. If the boy frees him from the inhabitants of the island, the dragon will certainly allow the boy to ride his back. Armed with six hair ribbons, toothpaste, bubble gum, rubber bands, and two dozen pink lollipops, Elmer sets out to free the dragon.
Genre: Fantasy, Animals
Reading Level: Ages 9-12 (but younger readers will probably enjoy it if someone reads it to them).
Similar Titles: The Dragons of Blueland, Mr. Poppers Penguins, The Little Prince, Peter and the Wolf
Personal Thoughts: The title won a Newbury Honor.
Simply put, reading the book is fun. It reminds me of the cartoons I watched as a child. The descriptions of the animals and the pictures appear like old-fashioned animations. Additionally, the story focuses on nothing other than being a good story. Instead of artificially creating drama through moral dilemmas or emotional outbursts, Gannett simply describes a story about a boy on an adventure. Apparently, the effort of storytelling reached international acclaim. The novel provided the basis for a anime in 1997 (it was not published in the United States).
Since the copywrite has expired, the book can also be downloaded at: Project Glutenberg.
Side note: of course dragons like daffodils.
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