The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle (Doctor Dolittle, #2)

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The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle (Doctor Dolittle #2)

by Hugh Lofting, Michael Hague (Illustrations)

3.96 of 5 stars 3.96 · rating details · 5,960 ratings · 250 reviews

Doctor Dolittle, the veterinarian who can actually talk to animals, sets sail on the high seas for new adventures with Polynesia the parrot, Jip the dog, Chee-Chee the monkey, and young Tommy Stubbins. Together they travel to Spidermonkey Island, brave a shipwreck, and meet the incredible Great Glass Sea Snail. This novel won the Newbery Medal in 1922 and now features a fo...more

Paperback, 400 pages

Published May 31st 2005 by HarperCollins (first published 1922)

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May 08, 2011 Miz Lizzie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: animals, britain, childrensbooks, england, fantasy, history, native-american, newbery-medal, road-trips, 1920s

My mother read this book to my brother and me when we were children in the 1960s. I remember loving the story and, especially, being enamored of Dr. Dolittle's ability to talk with the animals. It became controversial in the 1970s when the portrayal of the African characters was considered to be offensive and racist. The version I recently re-read is the lightly edited version by the McKissacks to remove the offending descriptions and illustrations. It does not, however, remove the rather offens...more My mother read this book to my brother and me when we were children in the 1960s. I remember loving the story and, especially, being enamored of Dr. Dolittle's ability to talk with the animals. It became controversial in the 1970s when the portrayal of the African characters was considered to be offensive and racist. The version I recently re-read is the lightly edited version by the McKissacks to remove the offending descriptions and illustrations. It does not, however, remove the rather offensive portrayal of Native Americans as childlike people who don't even have fire and are happily civilized by Dolittle to the point of complete dependency. However, Dolittle's adventures with the native folk of a floating island consists of a great part of the voyages of the book's title, making it rather difficult to have them edited out without significantly shortening and changing the book. And, of course, the colonialist attitude toward native people was very endemic to the times and one that we are only now finally starting to shake off. Despite this troubling aspect, I still found the same delight I had as a child in the portrayal of the doctor who could talk with animals and in the description of his home and garden filled with animals. I especially enjoyed (and had forgotten) the description of Dr. Dolittle as a fat, funny little man. The movie musical with Rex Harrison that came out during my childhood had unfortunately replaced a very different image of the doctor in my memory. I was very distressed, however, with the many scenes of Dr. Dolittle happily cooking and eating sausages and bacon while surrounded by his talking animal friends (including a pig!). Surely, if anything was to make one a vegetarian, it would be the ability to actually communicate with animals! And even if one was barbaric enough to still eat (cousins of) one's friends, surely one would have the courtesy to do so out of sight of those friends and not have them participate in the very cooking and serving of the meal! Other than the distressing consumption of animal flesh, I did enjoy re-visiting Dr. Dolittle and his friends in the first two or three sections of the book. I would have difficulty with reading it aloud to young children today due to the portrayal of Native Americans though it could lead to some very interesting discussions when read with older children. Like many of the Newbery books from the first decade, however, I think it needs to be put in context for modern children -- a better teaching book than a pleasure book.(less)

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Jan 18, 2009 Lynne rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: life-changers, my-childhood, loftingbyjove

Sometime in my mid-20s, upon re-reading this book, I realized that John Dolittle was my main role model in life, and that hasn't changed. Compassionate, obsessive compulsive, an animal lover, a brilliant scientist, a talented linguist, an itinerant traveler, owner of a fireplace that you can sit inside to toast things on sticks, a crusading truth seeker and champion of the underdog (no pun no pun)--shouldn't we all aspire to these things? I've read all the books in the series and I own multiple...more

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Mar 31, 2013 Gale rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: children-s-classics

“Champion of the Rights of Animals”

This 1922 childhood classic by Hugh Lofting is related by 10-12 year old Tommy Stubbins, the son of a poor cobbler. Totally swept up in the new science of Natural Studies Tommy evolves from client (with a wounded squirrel) to apprentice, despite his parents’ reluctance. From the moment the boy meets Dr. John Doolittle of Puddleby-on-Marsh, Tommy’s life will never be the same, and he will experience natural and geologic wonders of the world as he accompanies t...more “Champion of the Rights of Animals”

This 1922 childhood classic by Hugh Lofting is related by 10-12 year old Tommy Stubbins, the son of a poor cobbler. Totally swept up in the new science of Natural Studies Tommy evolves from client (with a wounded squirrel) to apprentice, despite his parents’ reluctance. From the moment the boy meets Dr. John Doolittle of Puddleby-on-Marsh, Tommy’s life will never be the same, and he will experience natural and geologic wonders of the world as he accompanies the learned man on voyages of exploration.

Respected as an eminent Naturalist this middle-aged bachelor keeps a veritable menagerie in his home and in his private, backyard zoo. Animals truly love this man because of his kindness and compassion, his medical skills, his generosity with his time, talents and modest resources. But there is a more compelling reason for his zoological success: this man can actually Talk with most species of the animal kingdom!

Eventually Tommy finds himself onboard a newly-purchased ship called THE CURLEW, as the Doctor embarks on a voyage of discovery and rescue across the Atlantic. Seeking a mysterious, floating isle called Spider Monkey Island, and the vanished Long Arrow, an unappreciated naturalist in his own, Native American world. The pair enlist the aid of Bumpo, an African prince who has studied in England. But it is the Dcotor’s devoted animal companions who prove invaluable, on both sides of the ocean: Dab Dab the housekeeper Duck, Jip the dog, Chee Chee, the African chimp, Polynesia, the brains of the outfit, and Miranda, the exotic messenger bird of paradise.

Tommy faithfully records these incredible experiences for generations of children (of all ages!) to enjoy: the trial of a man accused of murder in a Mexican mine; a wager about bull fighting on a Spanish island; stowaways and a shipwreck; rescue of trapped Indians; a war and reconstruction--white man style; Indians buried alive; the dilemma of the white man’s burden, and a fantastic submarine trans-Atlantic crossing. Lofting includes a mild satire on British institutions, food habits and climate. Yet he offers serious sub themes re the role/effect of White man upon native: is it morally necessary to “Civilize” childish or naive natives? This delightful fantasy is easy to read and this edition offers curious pen and ink sketches typical of the early 20’s—a true Kid Klassic!

(March 31, 2011. I welcome dialogue with teachers.)

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Mar 18, 2013 Charlotte rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-lit-13-25

Tommy Stubbins is a ten year old whose father is a shoe maker. He lives in Puddleby in England. One day he finds a hurt squirrel and is sent to Dr. Dolittle for help to heal him. When Tommy meets the doctor, he finds out he can converse with animals. Tommy convinces Dr. Dolittle to hire him on as an apprentice and soon Stubbins can converse with a few of the animals as well. The Doctor is trying to learn the language of the shellfish because they are some of the oldest creatures alive. The two f...more

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Jan 04, 2013 Peter rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: newberys

I read this book in its place among the early Newbery medalists and Honor Books, so it stood out by comparison as probably more excellent than it actually is, but I liked it a lot. It's got pacing! And good dialogue and overall good writing, and is not creepy! And is really, really environmentally sensitive and awesome - Dolittle has rants against keeping tigers and lions caged in zoos, and against bullfighting, and a Bird-of-Paradise snarks about being hunted for her feathers, and all the thing...more

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Oct 02, 2012 Individualfrog rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I read this recently to my 7-year-old niece, after having read it as a child myself. We had read The Story of Doctor Doolittle before, which I think she may have slightly preferred; I liked this one better for sure. From the first chapters (which she found very dreary) you can see that Lofting put more into the descriptions, which are more lyrical than the perfunctory first book. The plot is still episodic, but the continuing subplots--the Doctor's efforts to find Long Arrow and to learn shellfi...more I read this recently to my 7-year-old niece, after having read it as a child myself. We had read The Story of Doctor Doolittle before, which I think she may have slightly preferred; I liked this one better for sure. From the first chapters (which she found very dreary) you can see that Lofting put more into the descriptions, which are more lyrical than the perfunctory first book. The plot is still episodic, but the continuing subplots--the Doctor's efforts to find Long Arrow and to learn shellfish language--tie it all together much more neatly than the first book.

The good Doctor, to those reading today, has many progressive notions--his opposition to bullfighting, for example--but also enormous blind spots which made me wince. His entire attitude towards the native peoples of Spider Monkey Island is so condescendingly paternalist, and essentially provincial that it makes my head spin. My niece actually laughed at the horror of the Doctor and Stubbins when they are given raw fish to eat. "Don't they like sushi?" she said. Even despite the fact, explicit in the text, that Long Arrow's medical knowledge is vastly beyond European science, the Doctor insists that the Popsipetels live according to 19th Century English notions of hygiene. It's a strange contradiction that he intends to bring this indigenous medicine to Europe, while imposing European medicine on the Popsipetels. Actually, if you decide to read it this way, you can make a case that it makes the Doctor more interesting--Lofting (or at least Tommy Stubbins) clearly intends him to be perfect, and these flaws deepen his character somewhat. It's interesting too that Polynesia, the ancient no-nonsense parrot, calls the Doctor on his bullshit to some small degree. Of course, it's impossible to escape the fact that Lofting has written the Spider Monkey islanders, Long Arrow somewhat excepted, as exactly the sort of childlike society that the Doctor takes them for.

Despite all this there are still a lot of fun incidents and episodes--the trial, the fish's story, the shipwreck, and of course the mysteriously beautiful image of the Great Glass Sea Snail--that kept me interested and my niece entertained. She would have preferred, I think, a bit more to do with the animals. My Polynesia voice got a workout, but both of us frequently forgot that Jip and Chee-Chee were even there. I'm not sure if we'll read all the rest, but, in the tradition of the surreally lovely Great Glass Sea Snail, I think we will at least read the one where the Doctor rides a giant moth to the moon.(less)

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Jul 23, 2012 Caitlin rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, newbery

This is a great book. It is so much fun, and such a change from the "Story of Mankind" that I finished for a reading challenge. It was fun to really get hooked on a book from the beginning. The characters are so much fun. Dr. Dolittle in particular is just fantastic! Lofting has a great imagination, and the premise of a doctor who can talk to animals is unique (it is no wonder it won the Newbery Award). The book teaches kids about natural history, animals, and geography. Plus, his adventurous sp...more

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Jun 01, 2010 Willie Butts rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: eng-353

Lofting, Hugh. The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle. New York: Lippincott, 1922.
Genre: Children’s Novel
Doctor Dolittle is a story about a veterinarian who has the ability to talk to animals. He spends his time with his friend Tommy Stubbins and his animals traveling the seas seeking adventures. In this issue he is on a Journey to Spider Monkey Island in pursuit of the Jabizri beetle and in the process of locating the beetle he and his friends have to find the Indian Naturalist Long Arrow who has myst...more

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Mar 15, 2012 Ensiform rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, newbery

The narrator, a nine-year-old boy named Tommy Stubbins, describes how he came to meet the man who can talk to animals and became his assistant. They travel together to Spain and then to Spidermonkey Island, a floating island, in a search for one of the world’s great naturalist, an Indian named Long Arrow.

This is an amusing, if lightweight, bit of fantasy, part of the wide British reaction to the horrors of WWI. It’s one of the early winners of the Newbery, and though I wasn’t highly impressed wi...more

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Nov 04, 2012 Jackie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, classics, children-fiction, animals-monkeys, animals-fish, animals-ducks, animals-dogs, adventure, newbery-award-winner, england

This 1923 Newbery Award winning tale of a very adventurous naturalist and his young assistant is sure to evoke nostalgia with its rusty and antiquated language. Nonetheless, it is heart-warming and charming. The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle is laden with dangerous and obviously unbelievable travels of a man with a passion...a passion to speak the language of his four-legged, feathered, and/or ocean-living friends.

The story is narrated by Tommy Stubbins, who travels along with the great doctor and...more

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Jun 26, 2010 Kathryn rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adolescent-children, teaching-middle, newbery

This book is the second in the Doctor Dolittle series, the 1923 winner of the Newbery Medal, and the book upon which the well-known Rex Harrison movie is (somewhat) based.

Part of this book's charm is that it is narrated by 10-year-old Tommy Stubbins, and this makes the book perhaps more relatable to children than the first book in the series, which is told in third-person.

I know that many have commented on the racial and ethnic faux pas of the book (an afterward by the author's son also notes t...more

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Nov 15, 2010 Jill rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: read aloud to 7+

Shelves: newbery-medal

I love that this book is written in short chapters. Each installment is its own story. Here and there the book got a little wordy but overall it was well done and I enjoyed it. Doctor Dolittle is a wonderful character. He's one of those people who doesn't have a care in the world. Problems have a way of working themselves out because he keeps a positive attitude and doesn't get flustered. Granted, he does have all the animals of the world on his side to help him through difficult situations, but...more

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Feb 08, 2011 emily rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: list-award-newbery

Loved this book as a kid, still love it now & want to keep reading the series. If only I had time. Reminds me a LOT of the Twenty-One Balloons!

(Read this for my Newbery class.)

As a sequel, I really appreciated that Lofting took the time to introduce us to his new character, Stubbins, before bringing us back to the Doctor. I read the first book when I was a kid, but honestly, didn't even remember it (or that this book WAS a sequel) until I did some research on the first 8 Newbery winners. (F...more Loved this book as a kid, still love it now & want to keep reading the series. If only I had time. Reminds me a LOT of the Twenty-One Balloons!

(Read this for my Newbery class.)

As a sequel, I really appreciated that Lofting took the time to introduce us to his new character, Stubbins, before bringing us back to the Doctor. I read the first book when I was a kid, but honestly, didn't even remember it (or that this book WAS a sequel) until I did some research on the first 8 Newbery winners. (Felt kind of stupid, there.) The strength of this for people who have read the books in order is that Stubbins becomes a much more viable character to them - the book no longer is just about John Dolittle, it's about his relationship with Tommy Stubbins. The introduction of Stubbins' character tells children of all ages, myself included, that it's possible to discover & follow dreams you never even knew you had. Of course, there are some tell-tale signs of the times in which the book was written - the monkey being able to pass as a black man and safely travel, the black man traveling with them as a chef, the Red Indians being unable to care for themselves properly and requiring the assistance of John Dolittle, the powerful, civilized, strong savior White Man. But really... this was an awesome book to read. If I had the time, I would go back and read all the adventures of John Dolittle. Maybe I'll make it a monthly project - read one Dolittle! A coworker of mine absolutely LOVES everything Dolittle, and is adamant that the editions should not be made PC because they are indicative of the time in which Lofting wrote them. As she says, "[the prince Bumpo] is well educated, which for his era was unheard of and considered fantasy - a black African getting a European education like he was a human or something." The book keeps it's weight & merit today mostly as a read-aloud - because of the potential issues with the political correctness, I think it'd be better for a kid to read it aloud with a grown-up.

The origin of the Dolittle absolutely amazing - the letters Lofting wrote to his children in lieu of writing them horror stories from the war... then the kids demanding pictures to accompany the adventures. Information about this creation should be included in all the volumes - I think kids would love to know about it!
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Aug 13, 2011 Shawn Thrasher rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Proto-Peta, early environmentalist, anti-colonialist - if you've only seen the movies, you're in for a taste of something different (a touch of the radical?) when you read the books. Voyages isn't the best of the Dolittle books (even though it won the Newbery) but it's certainly never dull. 90 years ago, if you were some little farm boy on the Kansas prairie, winter wind blowing outside, then the adventures of a vet who could talk to animals, his voyages fraught with danger and shipwreck, and on...more

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Aug 22, 2009 Christiane rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: childrens-fiction, children-s-classics

Fantastical adventures of young Tommy Stubbins, the amazing Doctor Dolittle, and a menagerie of talking animals. In many ways ahead of its time (1922) in terms of animal rights (the Doctor is firmly against lions and tigers in zoos, bullfighting, and scooping up fish to live in an aquarium) the book does have uncomfortable moments when Lofting is writing about human beings rather than animals. Most versions of "The Story of Doctor Dolittle" (which I haven't read yet) and the "Voyages" have been...more

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Mar 07, 2011 Benji Martin rated it 4 of 5 stars

The 1923 Newbery winner!

What I liked about this book:
As opposed to the 1922 book, this is a book that I think children would actually enjoy. You can tell that it was published in 1922, the language is a little archaic, but a good children's book will appeal to children for many, many years. There are funny parts, there's lots of adventure and there are talking animals! What’s not to love?

What I disliked about this book:
Not much, really. As mentioned before, the language is a bit archaic. Some w...more

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Jun 24, 2010 Meredith rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: childrens-lit, newbery-awards

In my continuing quest to reread childrens' classics, I decided to tackle one of my very favorite books from elementary school: The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle. I always get nervous when I reread or rewatch something wonderful from my childhood. What if it isn't good anymore? Will it destroy my awesome nostalgia?

No worries-Dr. Dolittle is still totally awesome! What is more magical than a man who can talk to animals, or a floating island? There's also an environmental message that was totally ahe...more

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May 14, 2009 Kathryn rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: classics

The now-controversial "Voyages of Doctor Doolittle" would perhaps not fare well with many modern children, even with updated artwork and the removal of non-PC passages, as it's a bit old-fashioned and over-long. However, I really enjoyed the style and some of Lofting's passages were quite beautifully written. This is a glorious old-fashioned adventure complete with exotic locations, animal allies, shipwrecks, Indian wars and even a giant sea snail! But best of all is our hero, John Doolittle, on...more The now-controversial "Voyages of Doctor Doolittle" would perhaps not fare well with many modern children, even with updated artwork and the removal of non-PC passages, as it's a bit old-fashioned and over-long. However, I really enjoyed the style and some of Lofting's passages were quite beautifully written. This is a glorious old-fashioned adventure complete with exotic locations, animal allies, shipwrecks, Indian wars and even a giant sea snail! But best of all is our hero, John Doolittle, one of the most kindhearted and thoughtful creations in literature--not to mention he can talk to animals, which also makes him one of the coolest! ;-> I give the book four stars for his character and the spirit of the work, though I did find some parts were a bit long-winded or seemed disjointed from the greater arc of the story.

I was determined to read the complete, unedited version with all its "controversy" in tact--including Lofting's artwork. I was not a real fan of the artwork and the black-and-white sketches would likely not appeal to many children, either--also, the depictions of the Indians and African could be seen as derogatory, were one inclined to seek out the worst; however, I think that even Doolittle himself seemed overly exaggerated, so I doubt it was Lofting's intent to be racist when, say, he made the Indian's nose a bit large or the Afrian's lips a bit plump. However, sensitive readers will want to take note.

In terms of the story itself, I really believe Lofting wanted harmony amongst all races--moreover, amongst all living things. John Doolittle is kind to children and treats our young narrator Stubbins as a grown-up, with due respect. The Indian Long Arrow is regarded by Doolittle to be one of the greatest naturalists to ever live. Doolittle engages the help of animals--both long-time friends and new acquaintances--to bring about justice and peace in various situations. In my eyes, Doolittle is, above all, a gentle hero and role-model.

In addressing the claims of racism in the story, I would ask readers to remember the era in which it was written and to consider how progressive Lofting's views were given the time. That is not to excuse the occasional sense of superiority that oozes into the story from time to time, especially in the final part with the Indians. I cannot give particulars without giving the story away, but I would encourage readers to remember to evaluate themselves when they evaluate John Doolittle. The issue of race aside, how many of us have offered our opinions (even when unasked for!) or seen our friends' or even strangers' behavior as inferior to our own way of living or viewing the world? Even when we believe we are acting with a sense of compassion or thoughtfulness, might we not be unfairly spreading around our views of superior/inferior and passing judgment if we, perhaps, suggest that they might try so-and-so because it has worked so well for us? Yes, perhaps the Indians' idolizing Doolittle and his ideas reflected shadows of British Imperialism or white supremacy; or perhaps Lofting simply meant for John Doolittle to be a remarkably wise and compassionate member of humanity to whom others would look for guidance--as, ostensibly, we do with our leaders today.

Personally, I feel it would be a shame to dismiss all the wisdom of Lofting's book, and the kindness and compassion of Dr Doolittle, by choosing to interpret a few aspects in a negative light. Maybe it is there--or maybe we are imposing too much onto Lofting based on some of the transgressions of others... When you embark on the voyage with Dr. Doolittle, you will have to choose if you want to see the glass as half-empty, or half-full.(less)

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May 29, 2012 Megan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: newberry-books

The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle is the second book in a vast series by Hugh Lofting. I never realized there were twelve books in the series as well as a couple of companion books. The first book, The Story of Doctor Dolittle was written prior to the Newberry awards conception. The second book was deemed worthy of the prize and I quite agreed. It had a lovely story, bringing back all of Dr Dolittle's beloved animal friends, as well as, Tommy Stubbins, a young boy who became Dr Dolittle's assistant...more The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle is the second book in a vast series by Hugh Lofting. I never realized there were twelve books in the series as well as a couple of companion books. The first book, The Story of Doctor Dolittle was written prior to the Newberry awards conception. The second book was deemed worthy of the prize and I quite agreed. It had a lovely story, bringing back all of Dr Dolittle's beloved animal friends, as well as, Tommy Stubbins, a young boy who became Dr Dolittle's assistant. The story was also told from Tommy's perspective, a difference from the first book.

There was only one issue I had with this book, the Dolittle books are in the process of being edited for today's audience. Because these books were written starting in the 1920's, there are several excerpts that include ideas and vocabulary that are deemed racially inappropriate. The Dolittle books were always popular until the 1970's when parents stopped reading it to their children. They are beloved books and should be read to your children. I agree that racially inappropriate matter should be omitted for young children. However, I feel there is a very fine line between subtle revisions and outright censorship. So many important points in history are being revised and diluted. Look at Texas Board of Education and their approved revisions to textbooks that put more of a conservative twist on history. Such things as exploring the positive aspects of slavery(!) and the "unintended consequences" of affirmative action. What? While I believe that young children do not need to be exposed to texts that support racism, I do believe that older children should see what things were like for racial minorities in history. These things cannot be white washed over. History is history and some of it is ugly. I wish that the copy of The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle had the text that was edited in it's original form in the back. But these things are not the fault of Hugh Lofting, he still wrote a wonderful story, one that peaks my interest in the remainder of the series.

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Jan 06, 2013 Angie Sheehan rated it 5 of 5 stars

The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle
By Hugh Lofting

Doctor Dolittle has an amazing talent. He can talk to animals! In the sequel to the first book, Doctor Dolittle sets sail on the seas for an adventure with all of his animal friends and new apprentice, Tommy Stubbins. They end up on Spidermonkey Island and have many surprise adventures, some even life threatening. What would happen to Doctor Dolittle and his team? This book is one of my favorites because it has such heart racing plots and details to...more

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Aug 11, 2009 Emily rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: newbery-winner, j-fiction

This is the second book Mr. Lofting wrote about Dr. Dolittle, the naturalist from England who has learned many animal languages, and it won the Newbery Medal in 1923. The edition I read had been "gently revised" as the original was written in a time where the prevailing opinions about colonization, native tribes, rights for women, and rights of African-Americans were less enlightened than in our present time. The changes to the text were minimal, but the original illustrations have been replaced...more

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Mar 03, 2011 Christian rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I very much liked reading "The Voyages of Dr. Dolittle," the sequel to "The Story of Dr. Dolittle." I have not read "The Story of Dr. Dolittle," but I believe that I did not need to. In "The Voyages" (for short), Hugh Lofting wrote so that it was Dr. Dolittle's first appearance in a book.
This book was very well written and I enjoyed reading it, even though it was written in early 1900's and based in the 1800's. Hugh Lofting clearly had a great imagination and was also a great author. While th...more

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Apr 09, 2013 Cherry Burrows rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ya-lit-winter-14-25

Doctor Dolittle is a veternarian who can actually talk to animals. He sets off for adventure with some friends, heading for some islands, only to be caught up in a shipwreck. From there, their adventures really start, and there's lots of animals and humor to go along with it.

I really liked this story. It's a rather old one, so the style of writing is a little archaic, but it's a fun book anyway. It could be considered a little racist, as the views of Africans are rather degrading, but that was t...more

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Feb 25, 2011 Sophia rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, ya, reread, own

Even this bowdlerized version is full of cringey depictions of brown people, but it does have some great stuff arguing against bullfighting (which explains why I thought it was awful from an early age). I still enjoyed the reread since it was a favorite book of mine as a kid, full of interesting characters (Polynesia!) and adventures for the little boy in it, and I definitely had some suspicions this time around about where Doctor Who drew its inspirations from for the character of the Doctor, b...more

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Feb 26, 2013 Sanz rated it 5 of 5 stars

I just finished reading this aloud to my four and six year old sons. It took us two months to finish. It is lengthier and has more complex language than any other book that we've read so far. There are only 5 pictures in the 300 page book as well. In the beginning I wasn't sure how it was going to work out, but soon the boys got into the story and were using their imaginations instead of pictures. I loved that each night after I read to them, their dad would come in and lay by them. My six year...more

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Jan 05, 2012 Jessica added it · review of another edition

Shelves: newbery

In my on-going quest to read all the Newbery winners, I found this one a huge improvement over The Story of Mankind. Here the racism was much more subtle. Still, quite present, quite offensive, and inappropriate in a current children's collection. But at least Dolittle looked upon the noble savages kindly instead of directly insulting them as Van Loon did. This was at least a pleasant, jaunty read. (as long as I kept my social blinders on)

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Apr 15, 2011 Amy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: library-books, newbery

I can't believe I never read these as a kid! This book was so cute. I'm sure I would have loved it. I was especially amused at how the Spanish called him "Juan Hagapoco". That made me laugh. It got a little tedious there for a while, while they were on the island; and then it seemed to rush to the end. But the middle parts, with the actual adventure, that was definitely worth reading. I also enjoyed the idea of traveling the sea floor in a giant snail with a transparent shell. Very imaginative.

H...more

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Jul 31, 2011 Debbie rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: homeschool-y2

Yikes! So glad I was reading this aloud. There is a very dated chapter in which black Prince Bumpo begs the Doctor to turn him into a white prince, how he thinks he's so ugly and can only win Sleeping Beauty if he's white, and so on! I was able to edit on my feet, thankfully, but if you want to read this book be sure to get the revised edition in which the prince wants to be turned into a lion. Hugh Lofting's point was actually about being happy with who we are, but it sure doesn't translate! Pi...more

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Jan 12, 2012 Lisa rated it 4 of 5 stars

I've decided to challenge myself to read every Newbery Award winning book that I haven't already read, starting with the oldest and working my way to the current ones. This book was the 1923 winner. I thought I knew the story of Dr. Dolittle but I was very wrong! I knew that he could talk to animals but really my only connection to the story was with the Eddie Murphy movie.....so not like the book at all. This book has a great story to tell, is full of adventure, and shows the intelligence of Dr...more

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Mar 16, 2010 Donald rated it 5 of 5 stars

I read this in 6th grade because it was a Newberry book and because I thought it would be about talking animals. Boy, was I wrong. This book has very little to do with the Dr. Doolittle movie, except that both characters are, well, doctors. It's got an old time feel to it, maybe because it was written in 1922, but, for some reason, that didn't bother me. I don't know what it was, but my 12 year old mind couldn't put it down. At the time this book outweighed any of my previously read books by at...more

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About Hugh Lofting

Hugh Lofting was a British author, trained as a civil engineer, who created the character of Doctor Dolittle — one of the classics of children's literature.

Lofting was born in Maidenhead, England, to English and Irish parents. His early education was at Mount St Mary's College in Sheffield, after which he went to the United States, completing a degree in civil engineering at the Massachusetts Inst...more Hugh Lofting was a British author, trained as a civil engineer, who created the character of Doctor Dolittle — one of the classics of children's literature.

Lofting was born in Maidenhead, England, to English and Irish parents. His early education was at Mount St Mary's College in Sheffield, after which he went to the United States, completing a degree in civil engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

He traveled widely as a civil engineer before enlisting in the Irish Guards to serve in World War I. Not wishing to write to his children of the brutality of the war, he wrote imaginative letters that were the foundation of the successful Doctor Dolittle novels for children. Seriously wounded in the war, he moved with his family to Connecticut in the United States. Lofting was married three times and had three children, one of whom, his son Christopher, is the executor of his literary estate.

"For years it was a constant source of shock to me to find my writings amongst 'juveniles,'" Lofting reported. "It does not bother me any more now, but I still feel there should be a category of 'seniles' to offset the epithet."

Doctor Dolittle
Hugh Lofting's doctor from Puddleby-on-the-Marsh who could speak to animals first saw light in the author's illustrated letters to children, written from the trenches during World War I when actual news, he later said, was either too horrible or too dull. The stories are set in early Victorian England, (in and around the 1840s, according to a date given in The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle). The Story of Doctor Dolittle: Being the History of His Peculiar Life at Home and Astonishing Adventures in Foreign Parts Never Before Printed (1920) began the series and won the Lewis Carroll Shelf Award in 1958.The sequel, The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle (1922), won Lofting the prestigious Newbery Medal. Eight more books followed, and after Lofting's death two more volumes, composed of short unpublished pieces, appeared. The series has been adapted for film and television many times, for stage twice, and for radio.
Other Works for Children
The Story of Mrs Tubbs (1923) and Tommy, Tilly, and Mrs. Tubbs (1936) are picture books aimed at a younger audience than the Doctor Dolittle books. They concern the titular old woman, her pets (with whom she can speak) and the animals who help her out of trouble.

Porridge Poetry (1924) is the only non-Dolittle work by Lofting still in print. It is a lighthearted, colorfully illustrated book of poems for children.

Noisy Nora (1929) is a cautionary tale about a girl who is a noisy eater. The book is printed as if hand-written, and the many illustrations often merge with the text.

The Twilight of Magic (1930) is aimed at older readers. It is set in an age when magic is dying and science is beginning. This work is the only one of Lofting's books to be illustrated by another person (Lois Lenski).
Victory for the Slain
Victory for the Slain (1942) is Lofting's only work for adults, a single long poem in seven parts about the futility of war; the refrain "In war the only victors are the slain" permeates the poem. It was published only in the United Kingdom.(less)

More about Hugh Lofting...

Books by Hugh Lofting

The Story of Doctor Dolittle (Doctor Dolittle, #1)

Doctor Dolittle's Circus (Doctor Dolittle, #4)

Doctor Dolittle's Zoo (Doctor Dolittle, #5)

Doctor Dolittle's Post Office (Doctor Dolittle, #3)

Doctor Dolittle's Return (Doctor Dolittle, #9)

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