THE STORY OF DOCTOR DOLITTLE
Books | Fiction / Fairy Tales, Folk Tales, Legends & Mythology
4.3
Hugh Lofting
This is the first in Hugh Lofting’s famous Doctor Dolittle book series. Written and illustrated by Lofting it contains 30 pen and ink illustrations plus 21 illuminated drop-capitals – one for the start of every chapter. SYNOPSIS: John Dolittle, MD, is a respected physician, a quiet bachelor living with his spinster sister in the small English village of Puddleby-on-the-Marsh. His love of animals grows over the years and his household menagerie eventually scares off his human clientele, leading to a loss of income and wealth. But after learning the secret of speaking to all animals from his parrot Polynesia, he takes up veterinary practice. His fortunes rise and fall again after a crocodile takes up residence, leading to his sister leaving in disgust with the intention of getting married, but his fame in the animal kingdom spreads throughout the world. He is conscripted into voyaging to Africa to cure a monkey epidemic just as he faces bankruptcy. He has to borrow supplies and a ship, and sails with a crew of his favourite animals, but is shipwrecked upon arriving to Africa. On the way to the monkey kingdom, his band is arrested by the king of Jolliginki, a victim of European exploitation who wants no white men travelling in his country. The band barely escapes by ruse, but makes it to the monkey kingdom where things are indeed dire as a result of the raging epidemic. He vaccinates the well monkeys and nurses the sick back to health. In appreciation, the monkeys find a pushmi-pullyu, a shy two-headed gazelle-unicorn cross, whose rarity may bring Dr. Dolittle money back home. On the return trip, they again are captured in Jolliginki. This time they escape with the help of Prince Bumpo, who gives them a ship in exchange for Dolittle's bleaching Bumpo's face white, as his greatest desire being to act as a European fairy-tale prince. Dolittle's crew then have a couple of run-ins with pirates, leading to Dolittle's winning a pirate ship loaded with treasures and rescuing a boy whose uncle was abandoned on a rock island. After reuniting the two, Dolittle finally makes it home and tours with the pushmi-pullyu in a circus until he makes enough money to retire to his beloved home in Puddleby.
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Author
Hugh Lofting
Pages
173
Publisher
Abela Publishing Ltd
Published Date
2019-03-31
ISBN
8832530392 9788832530391
Community ReviewsSee all
"This is a great fairytale, the way they should be. Most likely, the only reason it has such a low rating is because people think it's racist, and they would be a little bit right. But I would posit that in reality, it's mostly just meant to be a rediculous fairytale. EVERYTHING is rediculous, and when you realize that, it sounds a whole lot less racist.<br/><br/>Since I am probably a good helping racist, you can't take my opinion, but there are a few things that I think are the primary reasons for being called racist, and my response to each:<br/>1) An Italian is portrayed negatively. I don't think people are mad about this, but I honestly hope they are so that they are being consistent. However, since the Italian isn't black, people probably aren't mad.<br/>2) The main "villain" is an African, and particularly, he is treated as being very stupid and falling for all of the doctor's tricks. -- This is irrelevant. Any villain in a fairytale would be written as comically stupid and falling for the protagonist's tricks. Read any other fairytale. Just because they happen to be in Africa, so the detainer happens to be African, people are mad.<br/>3) The prince presumably is rejected by the princess because he is black. -- This is the most valid one to get upset about, but as far as I know, the same people who are upset still believe women should be allowed to make their own choices of who to marry, so even if that was her reason (which we don't really know), it doesn't matter, she's allowed to reject him.<br/>4) The prince wants to be made white. -- As problematic as it is, this seems to be realistic since I have heard that African American children sometimes try to wash off their dark skin. We should be trying to make the world so that they wouldn't have that desire. BUT, a young person wanting to change their looks is normally not perceived as such a problem in books. Again, it's only because this is a black young person, and that is such a sore topic for us. Anne of Green Gables also hates her red hair and freckles, and we are okay with thinking it's funny that she repeatedly tries to dye her hair and wash off her freckles. Or when a protagonist seeks to be made taller or shorter, or even would rather be a boy/girl and tries to dress appropriately etc, no one has a problem. There is some discussion around these topics, but it's not a big deal. Only when it's trying to become white from being black is it a problem. Note: the Doctor does say he is sorry for the prince that he cannot be/stay white, and this is probably taken by many as an affirmation that being black is bad and being white is better. But the Doctor makes it very clear that he is sorry *because the prince could not get what he wants*, not because it is worse to be black.<br/><br/>So in conclusion, this book is a little bit racist, but in reality, it isn't very racist at all. Not as much as people make out. It's just people being stupid."
Uncle Snail