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3.65 AVERAGE
3.65 AVERAGE
5 star - Perfect
4 star - i would recommend
3 star - good
2 star - struggled to complete
1 star - could not finish
4 star - i would recommend
3 star - good
2 star - struggled to complete
1 star - could not finish
9/19/20 Re read this as a read aloud with my kids. 5/5 stars again! So good!
OG Review: I've owned an old copy of this book for years and have always meant to read it. So glad, I did! It was fantastic. Children's classics have stood the test of time for a reason! I'll certainly be continuing on with this series.
OG Review: I've owned an old copy of this book for years and have always meant to read it. So glad, I did! It was fantastic. Children's classics have stood the test of time for a reason! I'll certainly be continuing on with this series.
A funny old book...for the most part. We read the revised 1970s verison that took out the more blatantly racist things (like Prince Bumpo wanting to turn into a white man so that a princess will find him attractive), but still Doctor Dolittle reeked of white saviorism. White man is the only one who can save the sick monkeys of Africa and all the other creatures he meets on his journey as well as reform the pirates and others.
I did not like the story. What animal lover takes a rare (almost extinct) character out of its homeland for payment? It’s extremely annoying for all of these animals to have a “human” savior complex. There’s other nuisances, but those are my main complaints. I had an hour left to finish, but I don’t see the point.
There are a few chapters in this book that are quite racist. I probably wouldn't hand this book to a child without at least some discussion/explanation.
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Holy racism, Batman! They gave a man the ability to talk to animals only to make the man and the animals racist. Yikes.
I hadn't read this book as a child, so I gave the free Google books edition a shot. It does not stand up to the passing of time, but it did lay the ground work for the modern iterations of the story, which are far less racist and far more entertaining.
The story was not particularly gripping, and leans very heavily on racial stereotypes and the idea that goodness is related to whiteness. It was definitely written with a younger audience in mind, in terms of sentence length and structure, pacing, and plot. I will not be recommending this to others
I hadn't read this book as a child, so I gave the free Google books edition a shot. It does not stand up to the passing of time, but it did lay the ground work for the modern iterations of the story, which are far less racist and far more entertaining.
The story was not particularly gripping, and leans very heavily on racial stereotypes and the idea that goodness is related to whiteness. It was definitely written with a younger audience in mind, in terms of sentence length and structure, pacing, and plot. I will not be recommending this to others
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism
This is such a sweet little adventure story that is silly and tons of fun. Very old fashioned and quaint but charming.
My previous experience of Doctor Dolittle was just from the Eddie Murphy movie from the 90s. I'v seen clips of the older, musical version but I've not watched it fully. So this book was my first proper experience with Doctor Dolittle and it surprised me how much I liked it!
As an older text, it is not very politically correct and while it isn't as bad as I was expecting when I'd read that Doctor Dolittle was going to travel to Africa, it is still racially insensitive in its portrayal of black people. They are cast as insensitive and easily fooled, which I suppose is a step up from violent, primitive and cannibalistic but I still felt uncomfortable reading it.
Overall though, it was good. Might continue reading the series.
My previous experience of Doctor Dolittle was just from the Eddie Murphy movie from the 90s. I'v seen clips of the older, musical version but I've not watched it fully. So this book was my first proper experience with Doctor Dolittle and it surprised me how much I liked it!
As an older text, it is not very politically correct and while it isn't as bad as I was expecting when I'd read that Doctor Dolittle was going to travel to Africa, it is still racially insensitive in its portrayal of black people. They are cast as insensitive and easily fooled, which I suppose is a step up from violent, primitive and cannibalistic but I still felt uncomfortable reading it.
Overall though, it was good. Might continue reading the series.
My 2020 goal is to be as kind and caring as Doctor Dolittle