Hiding Hoover by Elise Broach is the story of two children who find a dragon and attempt to hide it in their home from their father.
The children’s father has always told them “No pets!” so when they find a dragon named Hoover outside in need of a home, they know they are going to need to hide it from their father if they have any hope of keeping it.
In a mad dash before their father gets home the children attempt to dress the dragon up as one of their friends, and hide the dragon in their bed all to no avail. While they are still looking for options to hide Hoover, their father arrives home. Oblivious to the large dragon standing in his doorway, the children’s father mistakes Hoover as a new coat stand and hangs his jacket on one of Hoover’s wings.
The hilarity continues as Hoover plays the part of an umbrella in the rain, a chandelier during dinner, and a fantastic easy chair that rumbles during exciting parts of the story their father is reading to them. As the children go to sleep underneath their new dragon canopy they congratulate themselves on keeping the dragon a secret from their father.
The very last page of the book shows a picture of the children’s father sitting at the kitchen table drinking soda and playing cards with Hoover. Hoover is using his fire breathing skills to roast the child’s father a marshmallow.
This is a fun adventure book for young children. They will laugh at how oblivious the children’s father seems to be about the dragon’s presence, as well as the end of the book when we discover that the father knew about the dragon all along.
This is a great short book to read at bedtime to your younger children.
You can purchase Hiding Hoover at most bookstores or online at
Amazon.com