The Story of Doctor Dolittle

Revised, Newly Illustrated Edition

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Pub Date Aug 31 2021 | Archive Date Sep 02 2021

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Description

In this first book in the beloved, magical childrens’ series, the origins of the remarkable Doctor Dolittle are revealed!

With 33 all new illustrations of the quirky Doctor and his animal pals…

…this classic story with an updated magical twist, is sure to be a family favorite!

When Doctor John Dolittle’s love of animals scares away his human patients, he finds himself on the verge of bankruptcy. Luckily, his parrot, Polynesia, has a solution—she teaches him to talk to animals.

Using his new skill, Doctor Dolittle becomes a veterinarian, and his reputation soon spreads in the animal kingdom. With it, come requests for help from animals all over the world.

Sailing off with his band of animal companions, Doctor Dolittle seeks to help all he can while facing fierce storms, vicious pirates, angry kings, and more.

Take time with your family today and join Doctor Dolittle for the adventure of a lifetime!

In this first book in the beloved, magical childrens’ series, the origins of the remarkable Doctor Dolittle are revealed!

With 33 all new illustrations of the quirky Doctor and his animal pals…

...


Advance Praise

"A charming edition of the classic story, nicely updated for modern times." — Blueink Review

"A charming edition of the classic story, nicely updated for modern times." — Blueink Review


Available Editions

ISBN 9781944091200
PRICE $4.99 (USD)

Links


Average rating from 15 members


Featured Reviews

My mother always told me to read this book. I never read it until now. It is a book about a doctor who become a veterinarian. I haven’t finished the book yet but will very soon. I am enjoying the book and the way it was written immensely. This is one of my favorite books. I highly recommend it to all ages. I received this book for an honest review.

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A childhood favorite made even more endearing in this upated version. Come talk to the animals! Read this for yourself or read with a grandchild like I did. We both enjoyex this gem of a book. Thanks #netgalley and #BooksGoSocial for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine.

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This book brought back so many childhood memories. Grab it and read it with your grandchildren! It would make a wonderful gift. I received a complimentary copy from BooksGoSocial via NetGalley and was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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REVIEW ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Story of Doctor Dolittle by Hugh Lofting and newly revised by Melissa Dalton Martinez is the classic tale with an updated twist. Everyone is familiar with the kindly Doctor John Dolittle who learned to talk to the animals. He traded his human patients for those of the animal kingdom and became a veterinarian. Soon his reputation spreads and animals from all around the world begin to seek his aid. One such request takes the doctor and his animal companions on a voyage to Africa which is just the beginning of many marvelous adventures. ⠀

The enchanting tales of Doctor Dolittle have been entertaining children for more than a century. This newly revised edition takes away the demeaning and stereotypical aspects which were the accepted norm of the era in which the story was first written and makes them more reflective of modern values. Here we see a more accurate representation of African culture while retaining all of the stories original charm. Tom Tolman provides thirty-three new illustrations which breathe new life and vitality into a time honored tale. I will say as a literary purist that revisionist adaptations should never replace an original work but instead offer an alternative when works depict outdated and offensive representation of any group of people, especially when it comes to material geared to children and young adults. This make the perfect addition to any library for children and adults alike. It was a treat to read these stories again which had been so much a part of my youth. ⠀

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. Originally written in 1920, the book had so many racist remarks, like people being insecure about their skin color, misshapen illustrations etc. So naturally the book went into my not for child list.
Then why I picked this edition of the book?
Only because of the description where they mentioned that they have rewritten the entire 13th chapter , removed racial remarks and redrawn the illustrations. So I read the book. The description was correct. The racial remarks were gone, New story of prince Bumpo and beautiful illustrations. You can definitely introduce this one to young readers.

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The Story of Doctor Dolittle by Melissa Dalton Martinez and Tom Tolman is a lovely little book which was fun to read with my nephew. This book is based on the famous person who talked to the animals......There has been many books and films about Doctor Dolittle. We found it very colourful throughout. It maybe a small book of 32 picture pages but it has big personality which kept my nephew entertained for many hours and became a family favourite of his.,

This book is aimed at 2-7 year olds.

Thank you NetGalley for letting me and my nephew read and have quality time with each other reading this book.

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Written by my 8yo:
1: What was the book title?
Dr Dollittle.

2: What was the book about?
A man who could speak to animals.

3: Did you like the story? Why/Why not
Yes because there was an animal with two heads called a pushmi-pullyu.

4: What was the best bit about the story?
That Dr Dollittle saved a child's uncle.

5: What was the worst bit about the story?
That the African monkeys got a horrible sickness

6: Would you recommend the book? Why/why not?
Yes to all animal lovers and vets because there is an animal doctor in this book.

7: How many stars would you give this book out of 5?
300,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 stars

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The Story of Doctor Dolittle is a new edition of the favourite children's classic. There is a disclaimer in the introduction to acknowledge that the book was a product of it's time, and the depictions of race by the original auhor Hugh Loftig, while historical, are not necessarily values that are valid today. And with that in mind, Melissa Dalton Martinez has made prudent edits to remove problematic passages without losing any of the story's whimsy and charm.

~Many thanks to Netgalley for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review~

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I have not read the original book on which this version is based, or even seen any of the film adaptations so I don’t have anything to compare this version with. The extent of my knowledge of Doctor Dolittle is that he is a doctor who can talk to animals.
This book is simply written and would be ideal for reading aloud to children. The sentences are simple and the action moves quickly, which I’m sure will keep children interested.

Reading what others have said, this book changes some of the wording in the original book, written 100 years ago in a different time, and makes it more appropriate for today’s audiences. It also simplifies the story.

This version is a nice tale with lovable characters, both human and animal, and the illustrations are adorable. It would make a nice addition to a child’s bookshelf.

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I enjoyed this book. I would definitely recommend this book!! It was a funny and really cute book. Great for kids. It is a quick book to read and super cute.

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This was a really well written story. I think it will be one that engages its readers and I would recommend it.

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A story that gets more refined and smoother with time, just like old wine in a new bottle. An old classical tale revamped into a refreshingly new entertaining package.

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