
DR. DOLITTLE Book Series (Annotated)
Enriched Edition. Children's Adventure Classics: Doctor Dolittle's Zoo, Garden, Return, Circus, Post Office, Caravan, Doctor Dolittle in the Moon…By Hugh LoftingLength65h 24m
About this audiobook
Hugh Lofting's Dr. Dolittle book series, beginning with The Story of Doctor Dolittle (1920), follows the eccentric physician of Puddleby-on-the-Marsh who abandons human patients to learn the languages of animals and undertake voyages of healing, discovery, and comic adventure. Written in clear, episodic prose enlivened by whimsical dialogue and moral fable, the series belongs to the golden age of Anglophone children's literature, yet also reflects the travel romance and colonial assumptions of its era, inviting modern readers to admire its imaginative sympathy while reading historically. Lofting, an English-born civil engineer and illustrator who served in the First World War, first invented Dolittle in letters to his children from the trenches, preferring humane fantasies about animals to descriptions of violence. His technical training, transatlantic life, and wartime disillusionment helped shape a hero whose science is gentleness, whose authority rests on listening, and whose adventures transform curiosity into ethical responsibility. This series is recommended for readers interested in classic children's fantasy, animal narratives, and the history of literary imagination after war. It rewards children with humor and wonder, and adults with a richer study of kindness, language, empire, and the enduring dream of communion across species.
This enriched edition has been carefully crafted to add value to your reading experience.
- A succinct Introduction situates the work's timeless appeal and themes.
- The Synopsis outlines the central plot, highlighting key developments without spoiling critical twists.
- A detailed Historical Context immerses you in the era's events and influences that shaped the writing.
- A thorough Analysis dissects symbols, motifs, and character arcs to unearth underlying meanings.
- Reflection questions prompt you to engage personally with the work's messages, connecting them to modern life.
- Hand‐picked Memorable Quotes shine a spotlight on moments of literary brilliance.
Audiobook details
GenreChildren's Literature
Length65 hrs 24 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateApr 23, 2019
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1Introduction
2Introduction
3Historical Context
4Synopsis (Selection)
5The Story of Doctor Dolittle
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6Introduction to the Tenth Printing
7The First Chapter Puddleby
8The Second Chapter Animal Language
9The Third Chapter More Money Troubles
10The Fourth Chapter A Message From Africa
11The Fifth Chapter The Great Journey
12The Sixth Chapter Polynesia and the King
13The Seventh Chapter The Bridge of Apes
14The Eighth Chapter The Leader of the Lions
15The Ninth Chapter The Monkeys' Council
16The Tenth Chapter The Rarest Animal of All
17The Eleventh Chapter The Black Prince
18The Twelfth Chapter Medicine and Magic
19The Thirteenth Chapter Red Sails and Blue Wings
20The Fourteenth Chapter The Rats' Warning
21The Fifteenth Chapter The Barbary Dragon
22The Sixteenth Chapter Too-too, the Listener
23The Seventeenth Chapter The Ocean Gossips
24The Eighteenth Chapter Smells
25The Nineteenth Chapter The Rock
26The Twentieth Chapter The Fisherman's Town
27The Last Chapter Home Again
28Doctor Dolittle's Post Office
29Prologue
30PART I
31Chapter II. The Doctor's Reception on the Warship
32Chapter III. A Great Gunner
33Chapter IV. The Royal Mails of Fantippo
34Chapter V. The Voyage Delayed
35Chapter VI. No-Man's-Land
36Chapter VII. The Animals' Paradise
37Chapter VIII. The Swiftest Mail in the World
38PART II
39Chapter II. Cheapside
40Chapter III. The Birds That Helped Columbus
41Chapter IV. Cape Stephen Light
42Chapter V. Gulls and Ships
43Chapter VI. Weather Bureaus
44Chapter VII. Teaching By Mail
45PART III
46Chapter II. The Doctor's Story
47Chapter III. Gub-Gub's Story
48Chapter IV. Dab-Dab's Story
49Chapter V. The White Mouse's Story
50Chapter VI. Jip's Story