Doctor Dolittle

by N.H. Kleinbaum, Robin Preiss Glasser (Illustrator)

John Dolittle is a very busy doctor with a wife and two daughters, and he likes his ordinary life very much. But that's all over when Dr. Dolittle gets a bad bump on the head. The next thing Dolittle learns is that not only can he understand what animals are saying when they bark, bleat, meow, but he can also talk back to them. A dog calls him a bonehead, he hears a guinea pig singing songs, and he has an argument with a couple of rats who hang out in a Dumpster! Soon all the animals in town are coming to him for medical advice. Is he imagining it? Is this a nightmare? Will it ever stop? Dolittle doesn't know. He only knows that something has to change or he's going to lose his mind.

Genres: Fiction, Animals, Fantasy, Media Tie In, Childrens, Novels

128 pages, Paperback

First published June 8, 1998

About the author

Nancy Horowitz Kleinbaum was an American writer and journalist. She is the author of the novel Dead Poets Society, which is based on the movie of the same name.

Reviews

[Asi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came across this book here completely by chance. Honestly, I didn’t even know that such a book existed. I can say I was quite moved, because Doctor Dolittle was the very first film I ever watched at the cinema. In 2nd or maybe 3rd grade, our school had taken us to a movie event. Until that moment, I had never seen a cinema in my life. So let me take this opportunity to thank my primary school teacher, Mrs. Necla. The film was a lot of fun. That much I remember.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

From what I've read about the Doctor Dolittle books (I've never read the original) I would want to read a good abridged/edited version to reduce all the offensive stuff. This was a bit too abridged for our needs though. It might be good for an enthusiastic chapter book reader to read to themselves but as a read-aloud it was so simple that it was unsatisfactory. (Reading to 9 year old.) Will try the Michael Hague illustrated version!

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

the benefits of teaching second grade -- getting to read adorable literature and get paid for it! oh...and the kids liked it too...

[NB · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read the kids version and it was cute. Very concise.