My Father’s Dragon
About
When Elmer Elevator hears about the plight of an overworked and under-appreciated flying baby dragon, he packs his knapsack with supplies and stows away on a ship headed for Wild Island. Nothing will stop Elmer from rescuing the dragon!
Read one section at a time, then discuss the questions to review understanding. These questions are a starting place for conversation, not a complete test of the chapter.
Chapter 1
Comprehension questions
What point of view is this story being told in?
Page 9 — third person
9
Who is narrating and who is this story about?
Page 9 — A son telling a story about his father, Elmer Elevator
9
How did Elmer’s mother feel about feeding the stray cat and why?
Page 11 — She didn’t like it because if she fed it more stray cats would come around
11
Describe the alley cat.
Page 9 — Old, female, can talk, traveler, good companionship for Elmer, kind
9
Chapter 2
Comprehension questions
What example of figurative language describes the cat speaking like a human?
Page 15 — Alliteration
15
Why did the animals on the island want to catch the dragon?
Page 17 — So they could use him as transportation instead of walking all the way around to the other side of the island
17
How did the animals treat the baby dragon if he complains?
Page 17 — Beat him and twist his wing
17
Chapter 3
Comprehension questions
How did the author’s father get off the ship without getting caught?
Page 22 — Hid inside a grain bag and used a rubber band to tie it on the inside
22
Why wasn’t the author’s father bothered when the fisherman shook with fear talking about Wild Island?
Page 24 — He knew the dragon wasn’t scary
24
Why was it important for the author’s father to travel to the island at night?
Page 25 — He was hopping over rocks and the animals on the island would have seen him in the day and he didn’t want them to see him
25
Chapter 4
Comprehension questions
How did the animals know something strange was on the island?
Page 32 — Saw tangerine peels laying around, the “rock” had moved from its place
32
How was the main character able to stay hidden?
Page 32 — Traveled at night and held onto his peels
32
Chapter 5
Comprehension questions
Why couldn’t the main character continue to follow the river and instead ventured further into the jungle?
Page 35 — The river was so muddy he got stuck in the ooze and decided to travel in the jungle next to the river using his compass, but the river had a bend he didn’t know about that took him away from it
35
How many tigers crept up on Elmer?
Page 37 — 7
37
What knowledge did the cat give to the main character that helped him stop the tigers from eating him?
Page 38 — The tigers love chewing gum
38
Chapter 6
Comprehension questions
Who was the main character careful to hide from at the beginning of this chapter?
Page 44 — Two wild boars
44
Explain why the rhinoceros was weeping as well as how Elmer helped him.
Page 48 — His tusk used to be white, but with age has turned yellow-gray and Elmer brushed his tusk with a toothbrush and toothpaste
48
Chapter 7
Comprehension questions
Why was the lion so upset?
Page 52 — He had blackberry twigs stuck in his mane and was worried for his mom see him such a mess that she would stop his allowance
52
What did Elder do to help the lion?
Page 54 — Give him a comb, brush and ribbons and showed him how to make his mane pretty
54
Chapter 8
Comprehension questions
What animal threatened to twist the main character’s arms like he does the dragon’s wings?
Page 60 — A gorilla
60
What did Elmer give the monkeys to help them get the fleas off the gorilla and how did that help?
Page 62 — Magnifying glasses so they could see the tiny fleas
62
Explain how the main character was freed from the gorilla.
Page 64 — More monkeys came out of the trees and surrounded the gorilla as they were wanting to try the magnifying glasses
64
Chapter 9
Comprehension questions
Why didn’t the main character pull on the rope to have the dragon fly over to him?
Page 65 — Elmer was worried about the gorilla twisting the dragon’s wings and stopping him from freeing him
65
Why was Elmer not interested in swimming in the river with the crocodiles?
Page 66 — He knew he’d be eaten
66
What did Elmer do to get to the other side of the river?
Page 68 — Used lollipops to make the crocodiles line up so he could walk across them. He put the first lollipop in the sand on the beach, then walked across the crocodile and used a robber band to tie a lollipop onto his tail for the next crocodile and so on
68
Chapter 10
Comprehension questions
Explain how the crocodiles helped Elmer have the time he needed to free the dragon?
Page 76 — The first crocodile finished his sucker and began floating down the river with all the other crocodiles following as they wanted to finish their suckers. The animals had been crossing the river and were stuck on the crocodiles
76
Who called to the main character and the dragon from the island as they were heading to Tangerine island?
Page 76 — The mouse
76
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Worksheets
Practice sheets with space to write your answers.
Additional files
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