Where to Start with Andy Elkerton’s Books
Andy Elkerton is a celebrated Scottish illustrator and author known for his vibrant, whimsical, and highly engaging digital art. While he has illustrated dozens of standalone stories, school readers, and educational materials, his work is best known through three major series: the mega-popular How to Catch holiday and fantasy series, the humorous Do Not Bring Your Dragon manners series, and his own self-written Viking Adventures chapter books. Because most of these books are episodic picture books, there is no strict continuity, allowing families to dive in based on seasonal events, age levels, or subject matter.
For the best experience, here is how you should navigate his three main collections:
- For Holiday Fun & Whimsical Science (Ages 4–8): Start with the How to Catch series. How to Catch a Leprechaun or How to Catch an Elf are perfect entry points.
- For Laugh-Out-Loud Manners Lessons (Ages 3–7): Start with Do Not Bring Your Dragon to the Library.
- For Developing Readers (Ages 6–8): Start with Elkerton’s own Viking Adventures, beginning with Bitra and the Witch or Oolaf the Hero.
The Bestselling "How to Catch" Series
The How to Catch series (primarily written by Adam Wallace or Alice Walstead and illustrated by Andy Elkerton) is a commercial powerhouse. These books follow creative children attempting to design elaborate, humorous traps to capture elusive mythical creatures, holiday figures, and animals. The series can be read in any order, but grouping them by theme or holiday makes for a fantastic reading schedule.
Holiday & Seasonal Reading Order
Many readers prefer to read these books to match the calendar year. Here is the chronological holiday lineup:
- Valentine's Day: How to Catch a Loveosaurus (2022)
- Easter: How to Catch the Easter Bunny (2017) or My First How to Catch the Easter Bunny (2022)
- Halloween: How to Catch a Witch (2022) or My First How to Catch a Witch (2021)
- Thanksgiving: How to Catch a Turkey (2018)
- Christmas / Winter: How to Catch an Elf (2016), How to Catch a Snowman (2018), My First How to Catch Santa Claus (2020), or How to Catch a Gingerbread Man (2021)
Fantasy Creatures & Adventures Order
If you are looking for non-holiday reading, these books explore imaginative creatures and wild scenarios, perfect for everyday storytime:
- How to Catch a Leprechaun (2016)
- How to Catch the Tooth Fairy (2016)
- How to Catch a Monster (2017)
- How to Catch a Mermaid (2018)
- How to Catch a Unicorn (2019)
- How to Catch a Dinosaur (2019)
- How to Catch a Dragon (2019)
- How to Catch a Yeti (2020)
- How to Catch a Class Pet (2022)
- How to Catch a Garden Fairy (2023)
- How to Catch a Daddysaurus (2023)
The "Do Not" Dragon Series
Written by Julie Gassman and illustrated by Andy Elkerton, this series features a lovable but chaotic red dragon who struggles to follow rules in various public spaces. It is highly recommended for preschool and early elementary classrooms to teach behavioral expectations with a humorous twist. While they can be read standalone, reading them in publication order shows a fun progression from simple rules to school-wide environments:
- Do Not Bring Your Dragon to the Library (2016)
- Do Not Take Your Dragon to Dinner (2017)
- Do Not Bring Your Dragon to Recess (2018)
- Do Not Take Your Dragon on a Field Trip (2019)
- Do Not Bring Your Dragon to the Last Day of School (2020)
- Do Not Let Your Dragon Spread Germs (2021)
Viking Adventures: First Chapter Books
Unlike the picture books above, the Viking Adventures series is written and illustrated entirely by Andy Elkerton. Aimed at early readers (typically ages 6 to 8 or Lime Band Level 11), these books introduce the brave boy Oolaf (known in some regions as Arni) on his quests. They blend fast-paced historical adventure with educational glossaries of Viking history at the back of each book.
We recommend reading them in this order to follow Oolaf's progression:
- Bitra and the Witch (2017)
- Oolaf the Hero (2021) (sometimes printed as Oolaf and the Golden Book)
- The World to the West (2021)
Collaborations and Companion Works
In addition to his main series, Andy Elkerton has worked with major authors on celebrated one-off projects and short series. Here are the notable collaborations you should check out:
- The Candies Series: Co-created with bestselling author James Patterson, this sweet duo of board books features holiday treats coming to life. Start with The Candies Save Christmas (2017), followed by The Candies' Easter Party (2018).
- The Fish in the Tree (2016): A medieval-themed collaboration with iconic children's author Julia Donaldson, published by Pearson for educational reading programs.
- Humorous Standalones: For fun, independent stories, look for Max Power and The Bagpipes (2019), a comedic nod to Elkerton's home in Scotland, and the nature-themed Bigfoot and Burd (2021).
What to Know Before You Start
Because Andy Elkerton works primarily as an illustrator, readers should know that the style, tone, and complexity of the stories vary depending on the author he collaborates with. The How to Catch series uses fast-paced, rhyming couplets that appeal to energetic readers, whereas Julie Gassman's Dragon series relies on instructional humor. Meanwhile, his solo Viking Adventures are structured chapter books for older children developing their vocabulary. All of his books utilize bright, vector-adjacent digital illustrations that are incredibly appealing to visual learners, making them excellent choices for reluctant readers.