The Story of Doctor Dolittle was published by Frederick A. Stokes in 1920, and it introduced one of the most beloved characters in children’s literature. John Dolittle, M.D., is a physician in the English village of Puddleby-on-the-Marsh who discovers that he can learn the languages of animals — taught by his parrot Polynesia — and abandons his human practice to become a veterinarian. When word reaches him that a plague is killing the monkeys of Africa, he sets out on a voyage to help them.
The book originated in illustrated letters Lofting wrote to his children from the trenches of World War I. Surrounded by the suffering of men and horses, Lofting imagined a world in which a doctor could understand the needs of animals and alleviate their pain — a direct inversion of the war’s reality, in which animals (and men) suffered and died without comprehension or relief.
The Doctor Dolittle of this first book is a gentle eccentric — impractical, unworldly, more comfortable with animals than with people — whose kindness and linguistic gifts allow him to bridge the gap between species. The fantasy is essentially one of communication: the idea that suffering could be reduced if only we could understand what the sufferer needs.
The book has been controversial since the 1960s for its depictions of Africa and African characters, which reflect the casual racism of its era. Recent editions have been revised to remove the most offensive passages, but the textual history remains complex.
Collecting The Story of Doctor Dolittle
First edition (Frederick A. Stokes, New York, 1920): Cloth binding with Lofting’s own illustrations. The author’s illustrations are integral to the experience.
Market values:
- First edition in dust jacket: $1,000–$4,000
- Without jacket: $100–$400
- Early reprints with original illustrations: $30–$80
- Modern editions: $5–$15