The Story of Doctor Dolittle by Hugh Lofting | 1920 | HarperCollins | Hardcover $ 27.99
When a swallow arrives in Puddleby-on-the-Marsh with the news that the monkeys of Africa are ill and only the doctor who talks with animals can save them, Doctor Dolittle and such good friends as Jip, his loyal dog, and Dab-Dab, his housekeeper duck, face their greatest challenge. Together they must sail to Africa, battle a band of cutthroat pirates, flee across a gorge on a bridge made of acrobatic apes, and convince the king of the beasts that even he must help an animal in need.
Like The Jungle Book, I know I must have read this as a child, as my old copy of it is still in my possession, but my only memory of it was of a vague impression of having rather enjoyed the illustrations. And like The Jungle Book, my only adult idea of the story itself came from a movie adaption, the mid-century musical version starring Rex Harrison.
This is a charming story, just a perfect little book for curling up with, perhaps accompanying a mug of something warm and a cozy quilt on an otherwise dreary day. It is, however, noticeably old-fashioned in an ever-so-slightly racist way — a forgivable reflection of its time, certainly, but one that in my personal opinion makes it possibly inappropriate for contemporary children.
And, once again, I now realize why the illustrations stuck in my memory; they’re delightful! Michael Hague produced dozens of both black-and-white and vibrantly-colored, packed-full-of-detail pictures for this edition, which really enhanced the reading experience for me.
Links:
- HathiTrust
- “1920: The Story of Doctor Dolittle by Hugh Lofting” from MIT Libraries
- Illustrator profile from HarperCollins
Publication information: Lofting, Hugh. The story of Doctor Dolittle. New York City, NY: HarperCollins, 1997. Print.
Source: Personal library.
Disclaimer: I am not compensated, monetarily or otherwise, for reviews of books or other products.
