In this first book in the series, Doctor Dolittle discovers that he can talk to the animals--Jip the dog, Dab Dab the duck, Polynesia the parrot.

Doctor Dolittle is a very special vet - because he knows how to talk to the animals! So when he hears that there's 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.With "Classic Starts[trademark]", young readers can experience the wonder of these timeless stories from an early age. Abridged for easier reading and carefully rewritten, each classic novel is filled with all the magic and excitement that made the original story a beloved favourite.

Doctor Dolittle isn't a normal doctor . . .

He doesn't treat humans – he treats animals instead! He loves animals so much that his busy house in Puddleby-on-the-Marsh is full of every creature imaginable – from parrots to pigs, monkeys to dogs and many more – and very soon he even learns how to speak their language.

The doctor's animal friends are quick to tell him that the monkeys in Africa have become infected with a terrible disease, so with a team of trusty creatures by his side the kind-hearted doctor sets off on an action-packed adventure to save them.

Hugh Lofting's The Story of Doctor Dolittle is one of the most fun, delightful and imaginative stories in children's literature. Featuring the eccentric doctor who learns to talk to animals, the novel has been adapted as a major film starring Robert Downey Jr., Emma Thompson and Selena Gomez. This beautiful paperback edition is illustrated with original line drawing from Hugh Lofting himself and contains engaging bonus material such as a quiz and a word search at the end.

Doctor Dolittle's Post Office (1920) is a children's fantasy novel by Hugh Lofting. The novel is the third in a series of fifteen books featuring Doctor Dolittle, a character created by Lofting in letters written to his wife and children at home while he served in the Great War. Beloved by generations of adults and children for their imaginative nature and moral worldview, Lofting's books have inspired numerous adaptations for theater, film, and television. Doctor John Dolittle is an ordinary physician with an extraordinary gift. Renowned for his ability to communicate with animals, Dolittle has made a name for himself as a traveling veterinarian with a generous heart and a courageous spirit. On the West Coast of Africa, he finds himself enlisted to help rescue the captives on an illegal slave ship, earning him the respect of the people of Fantippo. There, he befriends King Koko, who encourages him to open the small kingdom's first postal service, allowing them to communicate with distant continents using thousands of migratory birds. Told in episodic fashion, and with each episode containing wilder and more wonderful adventures than the next, Lofting's novel features a lost island filled with prehistoric beasts, the invention of an alphabet for animals, and a tortoise who has been alive since before the Great Flood. Doctor Dolittle's Post Office is a delightful work of fantasy for children and adults alike. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Hugh Lofting's Doctor Dolittle's Post Office is a classic of English children's fiction reimagined for modern readers.

Designed to appeal to the booklover, the Macmillan Collector’s Library is a series of beautiful gift editions of much loved classic titles. Macmillan Collector’s Library are books to love and treasure.

Doctor Dolittle is one of the most delightful and fascinating characters in children’s literature. This Macmillan Collector’s Library edition of The Story of Doctor Dolittle is illustrated with Hugh Lofting’s own drawings, and includes updated material and an afterword by author Philip Ardagh.

Doctor Dolittle’s house in Puddleby-on-the-Marsh is full to the brim with eccentric characters, from Polynesia the parrot to Gub-Gub the pig. After learning the languages of all his animals, the gracious and kind-hearted doctor hears that the monkeys in Africa have become inflicted with a terrible disease. So with a team of trusty creatures by his side, the doctor sets sail on an action-packed adventure to save them.

After returning from his African trip, in which he discovered the Pushmi-Pullyu, a two-headed antelope, Doctor Dolittle is looking for a way to pay off his debt. Inspired by the rarity of his new friend, Dolittle decides to enroll the Pushmi-Pullyu in a circus act. After searching for a circus that would accept his conditions, Doctor Dolittle and Pushmi-Pullyu begin to perform at a circus ran by a man named Blossum. Though Dolittle is originally happy with this arrangement, he soon becomes distressed after hearing the complaints of the other circus animals, who are unhappy with the way they are being treated. But, when Doctor Dolittle speaks on behalf of the animals, Blossum dismisses his concerns. The final straw however, is when Sophie, an Alaskan seal, begins to express her sadness over missing her husband, who she was taken away from when she was forced to join the circus. Deciding to take matters in his own hands, Dolittle begins to plan a daring escape with his circus friends, including evading the coast guard and dressing in humorous disguises. Featuring the beloved children's character who can talk to animals, Doctor Dolittle, Hugh Lofting's Doctor Dolittle's Circus is a fun and imaginative adventure. Though part of a larger series, Doctor Dolittle's Circus can be read independently, and is suitable for any reader looking for a humorous escape. First published in 1924, Doctor Dolittle's Circus is a small part of a larger legacy, adding to the adventures of a classic character who prefers animals over people. This lively novel has been adapted for both films and musicals, serving as a testament of Doctor Dolittle's timeless adventures. This edition of Doctor Dolittle's Circus by Hugh Lofting now features an eye-catching new cover design and is printed in a font that is both modern and readable. With these accommodations, this edition of Doctor Dolittle's Circus creates an accessible and pleasant reading experience for modern audiences while restoring the original imagination and fun of Hugh Lofting's work.

The Story of Doctor Dolittle (1920) is a children's fantasy novel by Hugh Lofting. The novel is the first in a series of fifteen books featuring Doctor Dolittle, a character created by Lofting in letters written to his wife and children at home while he served in the Great War. Beloved by generations of adults and children for their imaginative and moral worldview, Lofting's books have inspired numerous adaptations for theater, film, and television. Doctor John Dolittle is an ordinary physician with an extraordinary gift. Struggling to maintain his clinic, which he runs at the house of his older sister, Dolittle turns his attention to caring for his vast collection of animals from around the world. When his parrot Polynesia teaches him how to speak with animals, however, his dwindling fortunes are reversed, and Dolittle establishes a successful veterinary clinic. As word of his skill reaches others, he is recruited for a voyage to Africa, where help is needed in order to cure an epidemic ravaging the monkey population. When a shipwreck leaves him stranded in a hostile kingdom, however, Doctor Dolittle needs the help of the very monkeys he has come to save in order to escape the clutches of Jolliginki's king. Featuring pirates, crocodiles, and a magical creature known as a pushmi-pullyu, The Story of Doctor Dolittle is a delightful work of fantasy for children and adults alike. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Hugh Lofting's The Story of Doctor Dolittle is a classic of English children's fiction reimagined for modern readers.

The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle (1922) is a children's fantasy novel by Hugh Lofting. The novel is the second in a series of fifteen books featuring Doctor Dolittle, a character created by Lofting in letters written to his wife and children at home while he served in the Great War. Beloved by generations of adults and children for their imaginative nature and moral worldview, Lofting's books have inspired numerous adaptations for theater, film, and television. Doctor John Dolittle is an ordinary physician with an extraordinary gift. When Tommy Stubbins finds a badly injured squirrel, he goes around town asking for help. Told to pay a visit to the Doctor, he arrives at his clinic he discovers a strange world of wild and exotic animals. When Doctor Dolittle arrives home from a journey, he heals the squirrel and welcomes Tommy to stay. Now a student of Dolittle, Tommy learns from Polynesia the parrot how to communicate with all animals, and befriends the Wiff-Waff fish, Dab-Dab the duck, and others. When a Purple Bird of paradise arrives at the clinic with news that a friend of the Doctor's has gone missing on Spider Monkey Island, the group embarks on a voyage across the world. On their way to the coast of South America, they make a stop in Spain where the Doctor competes with local matadors to end the tradition of bullfighting. After a shipwreck strands Tommy alone, he must enlist the help of a pod of porpoises to make it to Spider Monkey Island, where he will hopefully find his friends. Featuring war between the Bagjagderags and the Popsipetels, as well as a magical creature known as the Great Glass Sea Snail, The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle is a delightful work of fantasy for children and adults alike. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Hugh Lofting's The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle is a classic of English children's fiction reimagined for modern readers.

There are some of us now reaching middle age who discover themselves to be lamenting the past in one respect if in none other, that there are no books written now for children comparable with those of thirty years ago. I say written FOR children because the new psychological business of writing ABOUT them as though they were small pills or hatched in some especially scientific method is extremely popular today. Writing for children rather than about them is very difficult as everybody who has tried it knows. It can only be done, I am convinced, by somebody having a great deal of the child in his own outlook and sensibilities. Such was the author of "The Little Duke" and "The Dove in the Eagle's Nest," such the author of "A Flatiron for a Farthing," and "The Story of a Short Life." Such, above all, the author of "Alice in Wonderland." Grownups imagine that they can do the trick by adopting baby language and talking down to their very critical audience. There never was a greater mistake. The imagination of the author must be a child's imagination and yet maturely consistent, so that the White Queen in "Alice," for instance, is seen just as a child would see her, but she continues always herself through all her distressing adventures. The supreme touch of the white rabbit pulling on his white gloves as he hastens is again absolutely the child's vision, but the white rabbit as guide and introducer of Alice's adventures belongs to mature grown insight.

'Many years ago - when our grandfathers were little children - there was a doctor and his name was Dolittle' Dr Dolittle lives in Puddleby-on-the-Marsh with his friends Dab-Dab the duck, Jip the dog, Gub-Gub the baby pig, Too-Too the owl, the parrot Polynesia, as well as rabbits in the pantry, white mice in the piano and a crocodile in the fish pond. Why do the animals love Dolittle so? Its because he can speak their language, and because he's the best animal doctor for miles around. When the monkeys in Africa call on his aid, Doctor Dolittle sets off on an marvellous voyage, encountering bad-tempered kings, fearsome pirates and the mysterious pushmi-pullyu along the way. Includes exclusive material: In the Backstory you can learn about the different ways that animals talk to each other! Vintage Children's Classics is a twenty-first century classics list aimed at 8-12 year olds and the adults in their lives. Discover timeless favourites from The Jungle Book and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland to modern classics such as The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle (1922) is a children’s fantasy novel by Hugh Lofting. The novel is the second in a series of fifteen books featuring Doctor Dolittle, a character created by Lofting in letters written to his wife and children at home while he served in the Great War. Beloved by generations of adults and children for their imaginative nature and moral worldview, Lofting’s books have inspired numerous adaptations for theater, film, and television. Doctor John Dolittle is an ordinary physician with an extraordinary gift. When Tommy Stubbins finds a badly injured squirrel, he goes around town asking for help. Told to pay a visit to the Doctor, he arrives at his clinic he discovers a strange world of wild and exotic animals. When Doctor Dolittle arrives home from a journey, he heals the squirrel and welcomes Tommy to stay. Now a student of Dolittle, Tommy learns from Polynesia the parrot how to communicate with all animals, and befriends the Wiff-Waff fish, Dab-Dab the duck, and others. When a Purple Bird of paradise arrives at the clinic with news that a friend of the Doctor’s has gone missing on Spider Monkey Island, the group embarks on a voyage across the world. On their way to the coast of South America, they make a stop in Spain where the Doctor competes with local matadors to end the tradition of bullfighting. After a shipwreck strands Tommy alone, he must enlist the help of a pod of porpoises to make it to Spider Monkey Island, where he will hopefully find his friends. Featuring war between the Bagjagderags and the Popsipetels, as well as a magical creature known as the Great Glass Sea Snail, The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle is a delightful work of fantasy for children and adults alike. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Hugh Lofting’s The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle is a classic of English children’s fiction reimagined for modern readers.

Doctor Dolittle’s Post Office (1920) is a children’s fantasy novel by Hugh Lofting. The novel is the third in a series of fifteen books featuring Doctor Dolittle, a character created by Lofting in letters written to his wife and children at home while he served in the Great War. Beloved by generations of adults and children for their imaginative nature and moral worldview, Lofting’s books have inspired numerous adaptations for theater, film, and television. Doctor John Dolittle is an ordinary physician with an extraordinary gift. Renowned for his ability to communicate with animals, Dolittle has made a name for himself as a traveling veterinarian with a generous heart and a courageous spirit. On the West Coast of Africa, he finds himself enlisted to help rescue the captives on an illegal slave ship, earning him the respect of the people of Fantippo. There, he befriends King Koko, who encourages him to open the small kingdom’s first postal service, allowing them to communicate with distant continents using thousands of migratory birds. Told in episodic fashion, and with each episode containing wilder and more wonderful adventures than the next, Lofting’s novel features a lost island filled with prehistoric beasts, the invention of an alphabet for animals, and a tortoise who has been alive since before the Great Flood. Doctor Dolittle’s Post Office is a delightful work of fantasy for children and adults alike. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Hugh Lofting’s Doctor Dolittle’s Post Office is a classic of English children’s fiction reimagined for modern readers.

Inspired by Hugh Lofting's classic tales of Doctor Dolittle, his son Christopher Lofting has updated his father's story for today's readers- still with all the charm of the original.

Nine-and-a-half year old Tommy Stubbins is about to go on an adventure of a lifetime!

Being assistant to the genius (and eccentric) Doctor Dolittle means no day is quite the same, especially when they set sail on the high seas.

After a hair-raising shipwreck lands them on the floating Spidermonkey Island, they meet the mysterious Great Glass Sea Snail who could change their lives forever...

The classic story of the extraordinary animal doctor from Puddleby-on-the-Marsh - Doctor Dolittle.

Once upon a time, many years ago - when our grandfathers were little children - there was a doctor, and his name was Dolittle - John Dolittle M.D.

Doctor Dolittle likes animals. In fact, he likes them so much he fills his house with every kind of creature imaginable and even learns to talk their language. And when the Doctor hears of a terrible sickness among the monkeys in Africa, soon he and his animal friends are setting off on the most unforgettable adventure . . .