Overview
Doctor Dolittle is a very special vet—because he knows how to talk to the animals! So when he hears that there’s a terrible sickness hurting all the monkeys in Africa, the good doctor knows he must go and help them. Soon he’s off on an exciting adventure across the seas in this superb retelling of Hugh Lofting’s beloved classic.When his colleague Long Arrow disappears, Dr. Dolittle sets off with his assistant, Tommy Stubbins, his dog, Jip, and Polynesia the parrot on an adventurous voyage over tropical seas to floating Spidermonkey Island.
Synopsis
Doctor Dolittle heads for the high seas in perhaps the most amazing adventure ever experienced by man or animal. Told by nine-and-a-half-year-old Tommy Stubbins, crewman and future naturalist, the voyages of Doctor Dolittle and his company lead them to Spidermonkey Island. Along with his faithful friends, Polynesia the parrot and Chee-Chee the monkey, Doctor Dolittle survives a perilous shipwreck and lands on the mysterious floating island. There he meets the wondrous Great Glass See Snail who holds the key to the greatest mystery of all.
Moira Rose Donohue - Children's Literature
Thanks to Patricia and Fredrick McKissack, Dr. Dolittle is back. Not the comic Dr. Dolittle of the recent movie but the delightfully eccentric doctor of Puddleby-on-Marsh. This Newbery classic has been reprinted with some slight editing to remove references that would offend today's culture. Now young and old can enjoy the charming, rotund animal linguist through the eyes of his 12-year old apprentice, Tom Stubbins, as they search for the elusive botanist, Long Arrow, and the even more elusive Great Glass Sea Snail. On board is Bumpo, the African prince who delights in using long words when short ones will do; Jip, the dog; and the irrepressible parrot, Polynesia. They stop in Spain to rid themselves of a pesky stowaway. While there, the doctor uses his animal linguistic ability to trick the town into outlawing bullfighting. After calm sailing, they encounter a storm and are shipwrecked. Fortunately, they find themselves close to Spidermonkey Island where Long Arrow was last seen. With the help of a Jabizri beetle, they locate the botanist who is trapped in a cave. Dr, Dolittle, the quintessential peace lover, is forced to lead a battle against a neighboring tribe for which he reluctantly accepts the role of king of the island. When the injured Great Glass Sea Snail arrives, Dr. Dolittle is convinced to return home inside the snail that teaches him the language of the shellfish and takes him home along the ocean floor so he can study this previously unknown world. 2001 (orig. 1920), HarperCollins Publishers, Ages 8 to 12.
Editorials
Children's Literature -
In the village of Puddleby there lives a doctor who loves animals more than anything in the world. He has a variety of pets, from mice and a horse to his favorites, Dab-Dab the duck, Jip the dog, Gub-Gub the pig, Polynesia the parrot, and Too-Too the owl. When his human patients refuse to come to his office because of the animals, Doctor Dolittle and his sister Sarah run out of money to care for all of the creatures. In an effort to save the doctor from ruin, his friend the butcher suggests he become a veterinarian and treat animals instead of humans. Polynesia the parrot teaches him the language of birds, Jip teaches him the language of dogs, and soon the kind doctor's reputation for helping animals stretches around the world. Doctor Dolittle's famous adventures return to their roots in this abridged retelling from the Hugh Lofting original. In an effort to bring the classics to a young audience, Sterling Publishing has created the "Classic Starts" series, shortening the stories and presenting them in easy-to-understand language. Questions for discussion designed to make the story relevant to modern readers by focusing on its universal themes, are included at the end of the book. While fans of the modern movies may not recognize much in this pre-automobile British rendition of the beloved doctor, his winsome nature and the personalities of the various animals with whom he can speak will win over readers who love a good adventure tale, animal stories, or both. Reviewer: Keri Collins LewisChildren's Literature
Thanks to Patricia and Fredrick McKissack, Dr. Dolittle is back. Not the comic Dr. Dolittle of the recent movie but the delightfully eccentric doctor of Puddleby-on-Marsh. This Newbery classic has been reprinted with some slight editing to remove references that would offend today's culture. Now young and old can enjoy the charming, rotund animal linguist through the eyes of his 12-year old apprentice, Tom Stubbins, as they search for the elusive botanist, Long Arrow, and the even more elusive Great Glass Sea Snail. On board is Bumpo, the African prince who delights in using long words when short ones will do; Jip, the dog; and the irrepressible parrot, Polynesia. They stop in Spain to rid themselves of a pesky stowaway. While there, the doctor uses his animal linguistic ability to trick the town into outlawing bullfighting. After calm sailing, they encounter a storm and are shipwrecked. Fortunately, they find themselves close to Spidermonkey Island where Long Arrow was last seen. With the help of a Jabizri beetle, they locate the botanist who is trapped in a cave. Dr, Dolittle, the quintessential peace lover, is forced to lead a battle against a neighboring tribe for which he reluctantly accepts the role of king of the island. When the injured Great Glass Sea Snail arrives, Dr. Dolittle is convinced to return home inside the snail that teaches him the language of the shellfish and takes him home along the ocean floor so he can study this previously unknown world. 2001 (orig. 1920), HarperCollins Publishers, Ages 8 to 12.—Moira Rose Donohue