Dr Dolittle

In The Story of Doctor Dolittle, Being the History of His Peculiar Life at Home and Astonishing Adventures in Foreign Parts (1920), the first of Hugh Lofting’s Doctor Dolittle books, we are introduced to the doctor who gives up treating people after Polynesia, his parrot, teaches him animal languages. His fame in the animal kingdom spreads throughout the world and soon he sets off to cure a monkey epidemic in Africa, finding all sorts of exciting adventures on the way.

The style of the book is clearly aimed for young children, with a good deal of explanation of hard words. This would change with the sequels.

The original edition of the book included language and plot elements that are considered racially derogatory by present-day standards, though probably not intended as such by the writer. Black African characters are clearly intended by the writer to be sympathetic, but their depiction reflects the paternalistic mindset of colonialism still prevailing in Britain at the time of writing. Editions starting in the 1960s removed some offensive terms for black people. (Exactly when these revisions appeared is difficult to determine, as the changes are not explicitly noted.)

Later editions changed the plot as well, and noted these changes in a new preface for the book. The original edition had a plotline where Bumpo, the African prince, wishes he was white, so that he can marry the Sleeping Beauty. The Doctor, who is imprisoned by the prince’s father, grants his wish in exchange for escape by covering him with white cream. In subsequent editions, Bumpo is either hypnotised or he wishes to be a lion.

The book entered the public domain in the United States in 1996, and in many Berne Convention countries in 1998. Since then, various publishers have printed both the original version, and various revisions and retellings.

Books in the Doctor Dolittle Series

  • The Story of Doctor Dolittle (1920)
  • The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle (1922)
  • Doctor Dolittle’s Post Office (1923)
  • Doctor Dolittle’s Circus (1924)
  • Doctor Dolittle’s Zoo (1925)
  • Doctor Dolittle’s Caravan (1926)
  • Doctor Dolittle’s Garden (1927)
  • Doctor Dolittle in the Moon (1928)
  • Doctor Dolittle’s Return (1933)
  • Doctor Dolittle and the Secret Lake (1948)
  • Doctor Dolittle and the Green Canary (1950)
  • Doctor Dolittle’s Puddleby Adventures (1952)