What do you think?
Rate this book
Doctor Dolittle
Animal adventures! An exciting retelling of Hugh Lofting's beloved tale for beginning chapter book readers.
Doctor Dolittle doesn't understand people, but he can talk to animals. His very best friends include a duck, a dog, a pig, and a parrot, and he has more pets than his house will fit!
Doctor Dolittle would do anything for his animal friends. But when the monkeys get sick, can he save them in time?
Doctor Dolittle doesn't understand people, but he can talk to animals. His very best friends include a duck, a dog, a pig, and a parrot, and he has more pets than his house will fit!
Doctor Dolittle would do anything for his animal friends. But when the monkeys get sick, can he save them in time?
144 pages, Mass Market Paperback
Published December 1, 2004
4 people are currently reading
254 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
July 5, 2020
Mediocre.
I wanted to read some of the classic books as it kept me busy during lockdown while so many audiobooks were free or accessible.
It was fast paced and I liked that, don't like to hang around in the classics, the writing is pretty straight forward, not complex like some older classics, so that's a plus.
However, I'm not sure really what makes this a classic, it was mediocre in it's writing, it wasn't the worst but it's not the best writing either IMO. Sure, the language is old fashioned and there are some ideas too that fall into that category, Also there is a semi decent plot in it, but all in all, it's not gripping.
I think what sells this is it's about animals, most people read it as children when they didn't really have any reading comparisons and therefore still feel it's a firm favouite because they enjoyed it as a child but that doesn't mean it would go down as well today, as well as this, I think a lot of good reviews and ratings may also come off the back of the film, which was good but in the book Dolittle feels a little bit like he's flawless which annoyed me, characters must always be developed and shown to have weaknesses and flaws, otherwise it's just too unrealistic.
I wanted to read some of the classic books as it kept me busy during lockdown while so many audiobooks were free or accessible.
It was fast paced and I liked that, don't like to hang around in the classics, the writing is pretty straight forward, not complex like some older classics, so that's a plus.
However, I'm not sure really what makes this a classic, it was mediocre in it's writing, it wasn't the worst but it's not the best writing either IMO. Sure, the language is old fashioned and there are some ideas too that fall into that category, Also there is a semi decent plot in it, but all in all, it's not gripping.
I think what sells this is it's about animals, most people read it as children when they didn't really have any reading comparisons and therefore still feel it's a firm favouite because they enjoyed it as a child but that doesn't mean it would go down as well today, as well as this, I think a lot of good reviews and ratings may also come off the back of the film, which was good but in the book Dolittle feels a little bit like he's flawless which annoyed me, characters must always be developed and shown to have weaknesses and flaws, otherwise it's just too unrealistic.
April 11, 2024
What a magical book! So great for a read-aloud!
July 21, 2024
So fun 😁
December 20, 2024
Este copia cărții ,,Doctorul Aumadoare’’
September 16, 2007
Doctor John Dolittle by Hugh Lofting
OMGosh, if I could only talk to the animals and they could talk to me! Heaven!
See the enchanting 1967 film musical starring Rex Harrison.
OMGosh, if I could only talk to the animals and they could talk to me! Heaven!
See the enchanting 1967 film musical starring Rex Harrison.
June 6, 2008
This is another of my favorite books I read as a kid. Between this and The Wind in the Willows, I was destined to become an animal lover!
April 12, 2017
This is the first book I ever read.
September 14, 2010
Since my kids are such huge animal fans, they loved this book. They loved the adventures and that Dr. Dolittle could talk to the animals and they could talk back. Their dreams come true.
May 29, 2015
Laugh out loud hillarious
March 1, 2020
1/5 Stars
Initial: I wanted to read more classics this year.
Pros: Easy to read and understand.
It's fast paced.
There is something happening in every chapter.
Cons: Writing style isn't my favorite.
Does a lot of telling, no showing.
Not much of character development in my opinion.
Post: This was kind of disappointing. The book follows a very non-changing character, it seems like he has no flaws. It is also a bit lackluster compared to the middle grade books that have been released before it, and the ones that are currently being released. There are also better classics out there than this one in my opinion.
Initial: I wanted to read more classics this year.
Pros: Easy to read and understand.
It's fast paced.
There is something happening in every chapter.
Cons: Writing style isn't my favorite.
Does a lot of telling, no showing.
Not much of character development in my opinion.
Post: This was kind of disappointing. The book follows a very non-changing character, it seems like he has no flaws. It is also a bit lackluster compared to the middle grade books that have been released before it, and the ones that are currently being released. There are also better classics out there than this one in my opinion.
November 5, 2020
I picked this up as an audio book to put on in the car when it was just me and the kids. Although it wasn't our favorite (language was confusing at times, didn't always hold our interest), I was glad we read it because it is such a classic. And the fact that we mostly listened to this as we were on the way to our friends "farm" made it that much more special. I think this will be one they remember fondly.
Oh, and then we watched the 2020 film adaptation. It was nothing like the book but was quite a good movie!
Oh, and then we watched the 2020 film adaptation. It was nothing like the book but was quite a good movie!
January 31, 2020
I read this book because my niece was visiting me and she insisted on me reading it to her, with all the voices and effects of different characters. The long story short, is we both had a wonderful time, pretending and doing voices and we fell in love with all the animals. Oh, if only life were this simple. But I absolutely recommend it to be read to and read by all the kids.
August 8, 2018
Adventurous
July 8, 2019
FuN!!!! 😋
December 21, 2021
Interesting story and amusing characters! For a kids book, its pretty good
September 16, 2022
My first book, enjoyed it a lot.
February 5, 2023
Dr. Dolittle helps all kinds of animals by talking to them and healing them.
January 5, 2009
Challenges: 101 Books in 1001 Days, A to Z Reading Challenge, What’s In a Name 2009 (Profession), 2009 Audiobook Challenge, 20 Books in 2009, Pages Read Challenge 2009, 2009 YA (Young Adult) Challenge, Well Seasoned Reader Challenge, The Year Of Readers - 2009
Rating: 5/5
No. of Pages: Audio ( pgs. 144)
Published:
From the back:
Have you ever wished that you could hear your horse’s deepest secrets? Or dreamt of having a pet crocodile..one who has promised not to eat you? Or have you ever imagined how amazing it would be to hang out in Africa with the King of the beasts and be able to communicate? Well, thanks to the teachings of his parrot, Polynesia, Dr. Dolittle has done all those things and much, much more! When he learns of an epidemic in the monkey community in Africa, Dr. Dolittle embarks on a journey to save them. Along the way, he will encounter African royalty, pirates, the mysterious pushmi-pullyu, and a world full of adventure.
Mine:
What a wonderful story for the imagination (although I like the original Dr. Dolittle movie with Rex Harrison). What a wonderful adventure he embarks on to help the monkey colony. He encounters many obstacles along the way, but somehow with the help of all the animals that he has learned to talk to he can pass through most of them easily. The animals even help him get out of the way. I’ve always loved this movie, but the book is even better, since it really does tell you the background of how he learned to “talk to the animals”. He was actually a people doctor first before learning the languages of the animals and becoming a doctor for them.
Rating: 5/5
No. of Pages: Audio ( pgs. 144)
Published:
From the back:
Have you ever wished that you could hear your horse’s deepest secrets? Or dreamt of having a pet crocodile..one who has promised not to eat you? Or have you ever imagined how amazing it would be to hang out in Africa with the King of the beasts and be able to communicate? Well, thanks to the teachings of his parrot, Polynesia, Dr. Dolittle has done all those things and much, much more! When he learns of an epidemic in the monkey community in Africa, Dr. Dolittle embarks on a journey to save them. Along the way, he will encounter African royalty, pirates, the mysterious pushmi-pullyu, and a world full of adventure.
Mine:
What a wonderful story for the imagination (although I like the original Dr. Dolittle movie with Rex Harrison). What a wonderful adventure he embarks on to help the monkey colony. He encounters many obstacles along the way, but somehow with the help of all the animals that he has learned to talk to he can pass through most of them easily. The animals even help him get out of the way. I’ve always loved this movie, but the book is even better, since it really does tell you the background of how he learned to “talk to the animals”. He was actually a people doctor first before learning the languages of the animals and becoming a doctor for them.
April 15, 2015
Personal Response: I really enjoyed this book, which probably has to do with the fact that I am such an animal lover. I found many of the animal characters to be very endearing and I was engaged with Doctor Dolittle's mission to save the monkeys. I also found the vocabulary usage to be very strong because it incorporated a lot of words that would probably be new to students reading this book.
Purposes:
- ages 8-10
Read Aloud for Curricular Purposes:
- This could be read for a unit on fantasy, as it is an example of Modern, Low Fantasy. This means that it is realistic in a lot of ways, but requires the reader to suspend disbelief. It also has some folk tale like qualities, like how it has been retold by many different people, but there is an actual author (it did not come from oral tradition).
Independent Reading:
- I would recommend this book to children who are interested in animals, or have pets at home. You could ask them questions about what they would ask their pets if they could communicate with them, what they think their animals would say, etc.
- I would also recommend this book to children who say that they might want to be veterinarians when they grow up.
Purposes:
- ages 8-10
Read Aloud for Curricular Purposes:
- This could be read for a unit on fantasy, as it is an example of Modern, Low Fantasy. This means that it is realistic in a lot of ways, but requires the reader to suspend disbelief. It also has some folk tale like qualities, like how it has been retold by many different people, but there is an actual author (it did not come from oral tradition).
Independent Reading:
- I would recommend this book to children who are interested in animals, or have pets at home. You could ask them questions about what they would ask their pets if they could communicate with them, what they think their animals would say, etc.
- I would also recommend this book to children who say that they might want to be veterinarians when they grow up.
December 12, 2023
This is such a lighthearted and cozy read - a 5 ⭐️ for me.
January 21, 2016
I really liked the movie when I was little, and the book was just that much better. Dr. Dolittle's adventures were neat and funny. This would be a good book for kids who don't really like to read. It has adventure, likable characters, and humor.
April 25, 2008
I may be burned at the stake for saying this, but I just finished reading "Dr. Doolittle" to the kids and I'm left wondering why it's considered a classic? The premise is cute but Lofting's writing style left me cold and the kids a bit bored. Give me Roald Dahl any day!
May 23, 2016
Both of my older boys (4 and almost 6) loved this book. The animals were lovable and had great double names like Dab-Dab, Gub-Gub, and Too-Too. The adventure that Doctor Doolittle goes on is very fun. Great find. A solid 4.5 stars.
June 17, 2008
I read this when I was about 10 and loved it. It's a great kids book!
July 12, 2008
i read this in grade school and absolutely loved it!!
March 14, 2009
Great and funny story about a doctor and his pets. Good lecture for kids.
January 14, 2010
DR.Dolittle is my favorite book ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
January 30, 2010
Read to the kids...they loved it!
March 8, 2010
I read this story when I was younger and I remember loving the part where they meet the snail that is large enough for them to fit into. what a story and what an imagination.
March 30, 2010
Too bad about the elements that would be considered racist today--otherwise they're really lovely stories!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews