The Dragons of Blueland

My Father's Dragon #3

by Ruth Stiles Gannett

The third volume of the   My Father's Dragon trilogy, this adventure may be enjoyed on its own. Here, the baby dragon summons Elmer to help save his family from hunters. "Elmer's plan is ingenious and plausible, the fantasy well-sustained."--(starred) Library Journal.   

Genres: Fantasy, Childrens, Fiction, Dragons, Chapter Books, Adventure, Middle Grade

96 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1951

About the author

Ruth Stiles Gannett wrote My Father's Dragon just a few years after her graduation from Vassar College in 1944.

Reviews

[Carmen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a pretty fun book about how the dragon tries to go home to his six sisters and seven brothers, and his dear gigantic mother and father.

On the way, he's spotted by a farmer, leading to the best part of the book, the hilarious Chapter Two: Mr. and Mrs. Wagonwheel. I was laughing out loud at these kooks. So funny.

More problems arise as the dragon approaches home only to find some men have trapped his family in their cave! Can he and his human friend Elmer save them?

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Edit - grabbed this off the shelf to read with Sam and it’s still perfect as a read aloud for 4/5 year olds but my bigs enjoyed listening again too! . :)

Cale & I’s first read aloud! Somehow started with the last book of the trilogy but he still loved it. Chapters are honestly no longer than a picture book, we read two in a sitting for about 10 minutes. :)

[Rod Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

The boring finale to a boring series!

Way too much time of this book is spent commuting as Boris the dragon leaves Elmer Elevator at his home in Nevergreen City and flies to find his family in Blueland only to find a problem that requires a return to Nevergreen City to get Elmer's help, then they're back to Blueland to solve the problem, with a final return trip to Nevergreen City to get Elmer home again. Honestly, I'm jet-lagged.

And I simply don't understand this series' obsession with inventories. So many lists of things!

[Luisa Knight · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Father's Dragon series is entirely delightful and fun! So be sure to read all three in the series. Both you and your kiddos will enjoy the engaging and whimsical adventures that Elmer and his friend dragon go on. Illustrations are quite lovely too, and we keep those younger ones attentive.

Ages: 7 - 12

Cleanliness: Gosh, Gee and the like are used throughout the book.

**Like my reviews? I also have hundreds of detailed reports that I offer too. These reports give a complete break-down of everything in the book, so you'll know just how clean it is or isn't. I also have Clean Guides (downloadable PDFs) which enable you to clean up your book before reading it!

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[Margaret Gipson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ruth Stiles Gannett really understood how much kids like lists of supplies.

[Elsa K · Rating 3 out of 5]

Who doesn't love Elmer Elevator and Boris the dragon? A nice ending to the series, fun read alouds for my little boys.

[Jordan Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

This the third book of the My Father's Dragon Trilogy. I highly recommend that you read the two prequels, but in case you haven't or need a bit of a reminder, there is an overview of the events of the first two books at the beginning.

The story picks up right where Book 2 left off, with the baby dragon happily flying back home to Blueland to reunite with his family. On the way, he is nearly caught by a farmer who calls him "the Blue Demon." But once he arrives back in his homeland, he discovers that his family has been captured by a group of men planning to sell them to different zoos. The baby dragon enlists the help of his human friend Elmer Elevator on a quest to free them.
The reader also finally learns the baby dragon's name.

Like the previous books, this one is a delightful blend of adventure, humorous escapades, and charming, whimsical children's fantasy.

[Stacy Renee (LazyDayLit) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Boris the baby dragon returns to the high mountains of Blueland to rejoin his family after his rescue from Wild Island, but returns to find his big dragon family trapped in a cave by men! Off he flies back to Nevergreen City to ask Elmer, the boy who saved him from Wild Island, to help!

This was a fun little trilogy! We enjoyed it very much!

[Blessing Bloodworth (naptimereaders) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read-aloud with 3yo & 6yo girls.

That's a wrap on a trilogy that is full of delight, imagination, and hilarity for readers young and old. I spent the summer in the world of Elmer and the dragons with my two daughters and we all loved it! These are books that speak to the wonder and imagination of childhood - where things feel possible, especially adventuresome & heroic things, and it doesn't have to all make sense. I anticipate us returning to these often as family favorites through the years.

[J. Boo · Rating 3 out of 5]

The baby dragon drops off Elmer, flies home to Blueland, and discovers his enormous - in both number and poundage - family is in danger of being captured and taken to the zoo. He goes back to get Elmer... who quickly resolves the problem, the end. Wut?

Considerably weaker than the first two, though the kids didn't complain. I have the feeling that Gannett rushed this one so as to get it out of the way; she seems to have married and begun having children around the time she was writing "Dragons of Blueland". Gannett and her husband had seven daughters, which helps explain why she published so little afterwards. 2.8/5

[Adele · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay, I guess the previous book was not Sophomore Slump so much as My Father's Dragon was a one-hit wonder situation. This is boring and silly. There is an inventory with quantities, but if a big part of the appeal for me is going to be to my particular neurodivergencies then getting the number of names of Boris' brothers wrong is unforgiveable.

[La La · Rating 3 out of 5]

It has a message about helping your friends and wonderful illustrations. Unlike the first two books this one might be a bit too scary as a read-aloud bedtime story for four and five year olds because of guns and characters trapped in a cave. It's still a littke too childish for a beginner chapter book, in my opinion, so three stars it is.

[Book2Dragon · Rating 5 out of 5]

The final book of the trilogy. Elmer helps his dragon friend rescue his family. The astounding thing is the plans he makes in advance and the items he takes along for (what I would call) unforeseen events. Here also the numbers contribute to the story. Illustrations continue to be great.
This is a great book to read to a child, or for a child or pre-teen to read. (I liked it too/!)

[James Biser · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent conclusion to the stories of Elmer Elevator and the dragon. They travel to the Blue Mountains and rescue the dragon’s family and accidentally become a local news item in the process.

[Brooke Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

5yo loved it. He's sad there are no more Elmer books.

[Xydel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a good book for 1-3 graders and is fun to be read aloud.

[Spens (Sphynx Reads) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was rather dull and boring compared to the previous books but still good.

[Melenia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great audiobook

[Bethanyanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read aloud with my 4 year old son. This was my least favorite of the My Father's Dragon books but he loved it.

[Nicole Szpila · Rating 4 out of 5]

Annie and Fred particularly enjoyed this one!

[Jesse · Rating 5 out of 5]

All three of us really enjoyed this final adventure of Elmer and Boris! It involves a lot of journeying, some rescuing, and one heck of a “concert” at the end. We even enjoyed the silly tongue-in-cheek ending.

[Steph G · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the last of the trilogy and it makes the reader wish there was more to the story. Again, a great book for the whole family.

[Claire King · Rating 3 out of 5]

Boys probably enjoyed this one more than I did! One more adventure with Boris the dragon and Elmer the boy to wrap up the trilogy.

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This third book in the Father's Dragon series had a good plot and beautiful illustrations!

[Kerra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just started reading this to my second-graders and then brought it home to finish because I hadn't read the whole thing myself yet. It feels a little dangerous to have it at home...not sure that my students would forgive me if I would forget to take it back tomorrow. They are loving this 3-book series. It's been fun to read this series aloud to them, but the reading level is accessible for second-graders.

[Mathis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked all three books a lot. It was sad in some of the parts and not that funny. I wish I could read it again.

[Alvin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the least favorite of the series. The first one was the best, and it went downhill from there. I read this for the first time with my 5-year old son. He wanted to rate it with 4 stars; this is the first trilogy we have gotten through together. I would have given it two stars, but added an extra one because it wrapped up the story well, and I will always have the memories of reading this with my son.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A truly enchanting book for readers of all ages! This delightful conclusion to the series wraps up the journey in a heartwarming way that resonates deeply. As a child, I was captivated by these stories, and now, as I read them to my own kids, the experience feels even more magical. Each page brings our imaginations to life, weaving a sense of wonder and nostalgia that makes our reading moments together unforgettable.

[Tracy M · Rating 3 out of 5]

A wonderful early reader story. I remember reading this when I was little, the librarian @ my elementary had a bunch of us help her craft a gigantic yellow & blue paper mache (covering a 8x4 foot chicken wired body) dragon to be displayed in the library. When I had my own children I read the series them while they were small as well.