“The Story of Doctor Dolittle” by Hugh Lofting is a children’s novel published in 1920. When a kindly physician learns to speak with animals, he abandons his failing medical practice to become a veterinarian. His new calling leads him on an extraordinary voyage to Africa to cure a monkey epidemic. Along the way, he faces shipwrecks, imprisonment, pirates, and exotic creatures—including the rare pushmi-pullyu. This tale of adventure and animal communication became the first in a beloved series, though it has sparked controversy for its colonial-era themes.

Warning to Parents: Chapters 11 and 12 of the original Dr. Dolittle contain objectionable content. These chapters were modernized by Under the Home, but the Gutenberg link on the textbook page leads to an original copy of Dr. Dolittle with the objectionable content.

CHAPTERS 1-5

Chapters 11-15

Chapter 16-21