You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
I didn’t realize this was a dumbed down version of another book until way into it. But my kids absolutely loved this version. Every day they made me read 2 chapters versus our usual 1 and they were always begging me for more. It was a fun book but I didn’t enjoy it nearly as much as they did.
The makers of the two movies based on this book made a very wise choice in the taking the titular character's name and the basic premise that the dude could talk to animals, and basically nothing else.*
Alright, they ported over the pushmi-pullyu, and for all I remember some actual animal names.
But thank God they didn't bring over Dolittle's racist adventures in Africa, which comprise most of the book. I was relieved when I got to the casual institutional racism of the (Arab descended) pirates late in the book, which were less offensive by comparison.
*Now I see the Rex Harrison movie is largely about a later book in the series, Doctor Dolittle and the Pirates, and not this first book.
Alright, they ported over the pushmi-pullyu, and for all I remember some actual animal names.
But thank God they didn't bring over Dolittle's racist adventures in Africa, which comprise most of the book. I was relieved when I got to the casual institutional racism of the (Arab descended) pirates late in the book, which were less offensive by comparison.
*Now I see the Rex Harrison movie is largely about a later book in the series, Doctor Dolittle and the Pirates, and not this first book.
I am and always have been a huge fan of old movies. As a kid I was shown the Doctor Dolittle movie starring Rex Harrison and fell in love with the story of a man who could talk to animals. It's been years since I saw the movie and decided to read the first book in the series. Besides The Story of Doctor Dolittle, Hugh Lofting wrote eleven other books in this children's series.
Dr. John Doolittle is a respected physician with a love of animals, who eventually loses his human patients due to the increasing amounts of animals that live with him. He lives with his sister in the English town of Puddleby-on-the-Marsh. One day he learns that he can speak to his animals when he begins to understand his parrot, Polynesia. He then takes up veterinary practice, and his fame spreads among the animals as a doctor who can talk to and understand them. He is eventually persuaded to travel to Africa to cure a monkey epidemic, but on the way is shipwrecked and captured by the king of Jolligingki. He barely escapes with his life, as the king is a victim of European colonization and hates any Europeans. Doolittle and his animal companions eventually make it to the land of the monkey epidemic, where he is able to cure and vaccinate all the monkeys. In appreciation for his services, the monkeys give Doolittle a rare gazelle-unicorn cross called a pushmi-pullyu. On the way back to England, Doolittle is again captured by the king of Jolligingki, but escapes with the help of a prince named Prince Bumpo. Eventually, Doolittle makes it back to England and tours with the pushmi-pullyu in a circus until he makes enough money to retire back to Puddleby.
Surprisingly I really wasn't a fan of the book. I think it was because of the racism that was clearly evident in the writing and illustrations. The racial terms used to refer to black people and the monkey-like illustrations really hindered any type of pleasure I might have found in the novel. While young children reading the novel may not understand the offensiveness in the words and images, it still isn't something I'd want them learning if I was a parent.
The one thing that I did enjoy about the book was the relationship that Doctor Dolittle had with his animals. It was heartwarming to see how much Dolittle cared about the animals. He was willing to go hungry, lose his house, and his family all for his love of the animals.
The idea behind Doctor Dolittle and all the creatures and everything is a creative one, but there was just something about the book that didn't work for me. Maybe I was reading it at the wrong age? For those parents out there , show your kids the Rex Harrison film version if you want to introduce them to Doctor Dolittle, skip these books.
Kimberly (Reflections of a Book Addict)
http://lifeand100books.wordpress.com/2011/03/30/20-a-review-of-the-story-of-doctor-dolittle-by-hugh-lofting/
Dr. John Doolittle is a respected physician with a love of animals, who eventually loses his human patients due to the increasing amounts of animals that live with him. He lives with his sister in the English town of Puddleby-on-the-Marsh. One day he learns that he can speak to his animals when he begins to understand his parrot, Polynesia. He then takes up veterinary practice, and his fame spreads among the animals as a doctor who can talk to and understand them. He is eventually persuaded to travel to Africa to cure a monkey epidemic, but on the way is shipwrecked and captured by the king of Jolligingki. He barely escapes with his life, as the king is a victim of European colonization and hates any Europeans. Doolittle and his animal companions eventually make it to the land of the monkey epidemic, where he is able to cure and vaccinate all the monkeys. In appreciation for his services, the monkeys give Doolittle a rare gazelle-unicorn cross called a pushmi-pullyu. On the way back to England, Doolittle is again captured by the king of Jolligingki, but escapes with the help of a prince named Prince Bumpo. Eventually, Doolittle makes it back to England and tours with the pushmi-pullyu in a circus until he makes enough money to retire back to Puddleby.
Surprisingly I really wasn't a fan of the book. I think it was because of the racism that was clearly evident in the writing and illustrations. The racial terms used to refer to black people and the monkey-like illustrations really hindered any type of pleasure I might have found in the novel. While young children reading the novel may not understand the offensiveness in the words and images, it still isn't something I'd want them learning if I was a parent.
The one thing that I did enjoy about the book was the relationship that Doctor Dolittle had with his animals. It was heartwarming to see how much Dolittle cared about the animals. He was willing to go hungry, lose his house, and his family all for his love of the animals.
The idea behind Doctor Dolittle and all the creatures and everything is a creative one, but there was just something about the book that didn't work for me. Maybe I was reading it at the wrong age? For those parents out there , show your kids the Rex Harrison film version if you want to introduce them to Doctor Dolittle, skip these books.
Kimberly (Reflections of a Book Addict)
http://lifeand100books.wordpress.com/2011/03/30/20-a-review-of-the-story-of-doctor-dolittle-by-hugh-lofting/
Love the old-fashioned storytelling and unexpected solutions to problems that seem impossible.
WOW that was shockingly racist. Just picked this up randomly because I wanted to see how different it was from the movie. Do NOT recommend.
I never read this as a child! Not sure why as it is a great book. Read it aloud to the kids. Sam (age: 3.916667) really got into it and kept careful track of each of the animals as we moved through the book. I think we may try to next title in the series.
Dr. Doolittle is awesome! I loved this book when I read it as a kid, and I still love it. The one problem with reading it on kindle is that you don't get all the cool drawings Lofting embedded with his tale.
This is the first of the series. Dr. Doolittle's parrot teaches him to talk to animals. Once he has mastered this skill, he becomes an animal doctor and is asked to go to Africa where there is an epidemic of sickness among the monkeys. The doctor and his entourage are imprisoned by an African king, captured by pirates, become destitute a number of times, but triumph in the end (and, of course, cure the monkeys).
This is the first of the series. Dr. Doolittle's parrot teaches him to talk to animals. Once he has mastered this skill, he becomes an animal doctor and is asked to go to Africa where there is an epidemic of sickness among the monkeys. The doctor and his entourage are imprisoned by an African king, captured by pirates, become destitute a number of times, but triumph in the end (and, of course, cure the monkeys).
- This was a fun and short book. It is an older book, so I'm glad things got right to the point without all the fluff in between.
- I really enjoyed the characters, especially the animals. I also liked that the animals came up with solutions to problems, and that they weren't dumb animals. They had personalities and brains.
- I liked all the illustrations. They were fun.
- This was a good intro into the series.
- I really enjoyed the characters, especially the animals. I also liked that the animals came up with solutions to problems, and that they weren't dumb animals. They had personalities and brains.
- I liked all the illustrations. They were fun.
- This was a good intro into the series.
Not at all like I remembered. Very short, I read it in less than an hour.
Dr John Dolittle MD likes his pets more than he likes the best people so his parrot takes it upon herself to teach him bird-language so he can become an Animal Doctor instead and earn enough money to keep all his pets.
Surprisingly difficult to come across a copy it was nevertheless some Light hearted farce once I found one. My 6 year old wasn't particularly enthralled so I'm not sure what reading age this appeals to, the young at heart perhaps
Surprisingly difficult to come across a copy it was nevertheless some Light hearted farce once I found one. My 6 year old wasn't particularly enthralled so I'm not sure what reading age this appeals to, the young at heart perhaps