Indeed, the animals don't speak English, but each species has its own "secret" language - which is not too far from reality with "horse whisperers" and "dolphin languages". Animal language is the central device of the series - in an age when every Disney film features English speaking animals it seems almost normal, but Lofting makes it seem new and marvelous.
Dolittle, now able to understand the complaints of animals, becomes a successful and world-renowned doctor of animals. One day his English speaking pet parrot Polynesia lets him in on a secret that animals have a language of their own. _The Story_ has gone through multiple editions over the years, later editions bowdlerized to remove racist content (see below) the copy on Internet Archive is the first edition (caution!)ĭolittle is an English gentleman who finds himself in the wrong occupation, a doctor of people, and gradually withdraws from society becoming a poor down and out town recluse. There are about 12 books in the series, nine published between 19, the last 3 published posthumously in the 40s and 50s. It is shorter and aimed at a younger audience than the later books, but it has a great deal of Victorian charm and upbeat optimism that is infectious. The Story of Doctor Dolittle (1920) is the first book in the Dolittle series and introduces the good Doctor and how he came to talk to the animals.
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