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Some children's books simply amaze me. |
| The Story of Doctor Dolittle illustrated by Michael Hague |
You know that glorious feeling when you unexpectedly come across a wonderful example of children's literature?
A book that expands your horizons.
Take, for example, The Story of Doctor Dolittle that was published back in 1920.
I know what you are thinking...
Read Aloud Dad ... that is so passé!
But wait a moment, great books are never passé.
Admittedly, everyone knows about Doctor Dolittle.
There are twelve books in the series and The Story of Doctor Dolittle is the first, but not the most famous book from the Doctor Dollitle series.
In fact, its sequel The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle won the Newbery Medal in 1923.
So, you ask... is there really something special about this first book, The Story of Doctor Dolittle?
Or is it merely 'the boring sibling' from the Doctor Dolittle book series?
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| Doctor Dolittle on the ship |
Boring? Dull? Tedious?
No, no and no my friends.
This one is the real deal.
The Story of Doctor Dolittle radiates freshness and energy.
This is a story that doesn't slow down and kept our attention with its many plot twists and exciting surprises.
Yep, a good old tale of fun and adventure!
But that is not all.
I am happy to tell you that I found the best illustrated version of this gem.
Oh yes, sirree!
A fabulous read aloud with fabulous illustrations.
This edition is a deluxe illustrated edition that is published by Books of Wonder.
It is hard to find and I had my work cut out for me during my attempts to snag one.
By the way, Books of Wonder is New York City's oldest and largest independent children's bookstore.
Oh, how I love that! It's not just any regular publisher - but comes straight from one that is laser focused on children's books.
Captivating illustrations can make any good read-aloud simply unforgettable.
But superb read aloud with superb illustrations... that makes Read Aloud Dad sing Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah!!
However, I have to tell you that it is not easy to find these Book of Wonder editions.
They are often out of stock - from my experience - as I keep glancing for the next one in the series and I still have not found it.
Yet, there are more modern options available.
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| All 13 adventures of the world’s most famous animal-talking doctor |
Since the recent release of the remake of the Doctor Dolittle movie, some new options hit the market.
One of them that looks ravishing to me is the 13-books in one set: Doctor Dolittle The Complete Collection in a boxed set). I think every kid would go crazy for one of these box sets.
My daughter is just box set crazy and my son also loves setting aside a great book series to go through it one book at a time.
Remember, book series and box sets are one of the best tools you can have as a parent - in your read aloud shed. The Dctor Dolittle box set has 13 Doctor Dolittle editions that will keep you young ones occupied for the entire winter or summer!
The set contains:
- The Story of Doctor Dolittle
- The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle (inspired the movie in which Robert Downey Jr. plays the doctor)
- Doctor Dolittle’s Post Office
- Doctor Dolittle’s Circus
- Doctor Dolittle’s Caravan
- Doctor Dolittle and the Green Canary
- Doctor Dolittle’s Zoo
- Doctor Dolittle’s Puddleby Adventures
- Doctor Dolittle’s Garden
- Doctor Dolittle in the Moon
- Doctor Dolittle’s Return
- Doctor Dolittle and the Secret Lake
- Gub Gub’s Book
But back to the illustrated edition that I was raving about.
Before I forget, this edition does not have only the benefit of Michael Hague's handsome illustrations of the doctor, his pets and their adventures - it also includes some very limited changes to the original text that bring it in line with modern-day values.
Some racial pejoratives and stereotypical depictions of dark-skinned people were eliminated from the text, because these elements were preventing modern readers from enjoying the book in the 21st century.
What were these changes, you ask?
The changes were limited to reworking an episode in which an African prince wishes to become white and two offensive phrases were deleted in the book. Plus, the book now refers to Africa as a continent, instead of a country.
The Best Of Two Worlds
I don't believe in one ideal beauty.
Zac Posen
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| Doctor Dolittle in uddleby-on-the-Marsh |
And who was waiting for me there, but Doctor Dolittle in this fabulous edition illustrated by Michael Hague.
But before we proceed, Read Aloud Dad has a little admission to make.
When I was a kid, Doctor Dolittle simply did not excite me. There was no pizazz between us.
Doctor Dolittle always attracted me from afar, but never truly conquered my heart.
We had a collection of Doctor Dolittle paperbacks in our home and I always made sure I did not touch them.
Why?
They simply gave me the impression that they were too wordy and simply ... boring.
I know I tried many times, but the editions we had at home always defeated me.
Armed with this knowledge I decided to give my kids a better chance at loving Doctor Dolittle, so I window-shopped and browsed through different editions.
There was simply no better than this Books of Wonder deluxe edition.
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| Swallows pull Doctor Dolittle's ship forward |
If you want to get your kids hooked on Doctor Dolittle, start reading the best edition possible.
Both my daughter and my son have taken to Doctor Dolittle just as I hoped they would!
It is a perfect story for kids, about a doctor who prefers the company of animals to the company of people.
He fills up his home and yard in Puddleby-on-the-Marsh with animals of all kinds, including his loyal friends Polynesia the parrot, Dab-Dab a house-keeping duck, Jip the doctor's trusted dog, Gub-Gub a hungry and less-than-brave pig and many other creatures (including a crocodile and a horse that wears glasses).
After swallows one day fly to Puddleby to inform Doctor Dolittle that there is a terrible disease killing monkeys in Africa, the doctor decides to pack his bags and travel with his trusted animal friends to Africa to help save the monkey population.
At the very end of their trip to Africa the doctor and his animals get ship-wrecked, but they manage to reach land and then save the monkeys. In the process the doctor discovers a soon-to-be extinct two-headed beast named pushmi-pullyu.
Doctor Dolittle and his motley crew (now with the shy pushmi-pullyu) decide it is time to get back to Puddleby.
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| Bridge of Apes |
Pirates, you heard me well!
Shiver me timbers, this book has it all!
The bad news is that we haven't yet moved on to the next book in this series, The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle.
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| The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle (still eludes me!) |
I've been waiting for it to reappear on Amazon for over a year...
I am still hoping that a new edition of this book will be published.
But I may have to settle for some other edition.
If you have a recommendation of a nicely illustrated hardcover of the second Dolittle book (The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle) please tell me.
You would make a Dad and his twins happy!
Happy reading,
Read Aloud Dad
Where to buy
These are affiliate links — if you buy through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Amazon.com (US) – Check price
ThriftBooks – Check price
Amazon.ca – Check price
Bookshop.org – Check price
Better World Books – Check price
AbeBooks – Check price
Amazon UK – Check price
Tip: choose your local store for fastest delivery and the right edition.
Further resources for parents (opens in new window – not affiliate links):
- School Library Journal — “Of Race and Reprints” (context on edits): What changed in later Dolittle editions (incl. Hague) and why
- MIT Libraries — 1920 first edition note: Original text contained racist plot elements; summary & context
- Philip Nel — “Can Censoring a Children’s Book Remove Its Prejudices?”: Smart primer on bowdlerization vs. reading with context
- Leaves & Pages (reader essay): In-depth reflection on charm vs. racist content
- Vicky & Polly (edition note): Unedited vs. edited editions; statement from Lofting’s son
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