100,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock 🇳🇿

Fast overnight NZ delivery 🚀 Don't forget Father's Day is next weekend 📅

The Story of Dr Dolittle

Presented with the original Illustrations
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
John Dolittle is a doctor in the village of Puddleby-on-the-Marsh who loves animals so much that his home is full of them. Encouraged by his friend, he learns to speak the language of animals with the help of Polynesia the parrot, allowing him to care for them as a vet. When a message of sickness reaches him from Africa, the Doctor and his animal companions set off on a thrilling and dangerous adventure.
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$1699
AVAILABLE WITH SUPPLIER Ships from our Auckland warehouse within 4-6 weeks

Found a better price? Request a price match

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

Ideal for children and young readers who enjoy classic tales of adventure and talking animals.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

With the help of Polynesia the parrot, Doctor Dolittle swiftly learns the language of the animals so that he can talk to all of his new patients. However, when a message comes from Africa, telling of a terrible sickness among the monkeys there, the Doctor and his animal friends depart on a thrilling and dangerous adventure that they are never likely to forget.

With the help of Polynesia the parrot, Doctor Dolittle swiftly learns the language of the animals so that he can talk to all of his new patients. However, when a message comes from Africa, telling of a terrible sickness among the monkeys there, the Doctor and his animal friends depart on a thrilling and dangerous adventure that they are never likely to forget.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

After a while, with the parrot’s help, the Doctor got to learn the language of the animals so well that he could talk to them himself and understand everything they said.

John Dolittle is a highly respected doctor in the village of Puddleby-on-the-Marsh, yet he loves animals so much that his house is soon full of them. With all his patients scared away, and the expense of feeding his menagerie mounting, a friend suggests that the Doctor become a vet instead.

With the help of Polynesia the parrot, Doctor Dolittle swiftly learns the language of the animals so that he can talk to all of his new patients. However, when a message comes from Africa, telling of a terrible sickness among the monkeys there, the Doctor and his animal friends depart on a thrilling and dangerous adventure that they are never likely to forget.

Series: Alma Junior Classics

View all
  • The Little Prince
    Having crash-landed in the Sahara desert, a pilot comes across a young boy who introduces himself as the Little Prince and tells him the story of how he grew up on a tiny asteroid before travelling across the galaxies and coming to Earth. His encounters and discoveries, seen through childlike, innocent eyes, give rise to candid reflections on life and...
    Paperback
    $2299
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Treasure Island
    One of the best-loved adventure stories ever written, Treas­ure Island's timeless tale of pirates, lost treasure maps, mutiny and derring-do has appealed to generations of readers ever since Robert Louis Stevenson penned it in 1881 with the claim: If this don’t fetch the kids, why, they have gone rotten since my day.But more than just a children’s classic, the novel...
    Paperback
    $1699
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Peter Rabbit Stories
    This collection brings together in a single volume the four books that feature the famous young rabbit with the blue jacket and a penchant for mischief and disobedience: The Tale of Peter Rabbit, The Tale of Benjamin Bunny, The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies and The Tale of Mr Tod.From Peter’s early adventures in the kitchen garden of Mr McGregor...
    Hardback
    $2499
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Black Beauty
    After a wonderful early life as a young colt on Farmer Gray’s meadows, the stallion Black Beauty is sold to Squire Gordon of Birtwick Hall and joins the gentleman’s stables. While his existence is no longer as carefree as before and he has to be trained by humans, he enjoys the company of the other horses there, such as the...
    Paperback
    $1699
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Railway Children
    Roberta, Phyllis and Peter have their comfortable lives in London thrown into disarray by the unexpected disappearance of their father. They are forced to move to a small cottage in the countryside with their mother, who struggles to make ends meet by writing books. The children find solace in a stretch of railway track and the station nearby, and befriend...
    Paperback
    $1699
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Secret Garden
    After her parents die of cholera in India, Mary Lennox is sent to live with her uncle in his gloomy house in Yorkshire, where she leads a lonely and neglected life, with nothing to do apart from exploring her surroundings. One day she discovers a walled garden which has been locked up, and becomes determined to enter it and find...
    Paperback
    $1799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Dracula
    Regarded as one of the most influential horror stories of all time and the inspiration for countless literary spin-offs, the tale of the young Englishman Jonathan Harker’s journey into the very heart of Count Dracula’s evil realm remains a compelling read to this day. A thriller of hypnotic power, a dark exploration of human passion, mythology and the paranormal, and...
    Paperback
    $1699
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Robinson Crusoe
    Robinson Crusoe, published in 1719, is considered by many to be the first novel in English, and its success was so enormous that by the end of the nineteenth century it had spawned more translations and versions than any other previous English book. An everyman character who has become part of our cultural heritage, Defoe’s castaway – shipwrecked, imperilled and...
    Paperback
    $1699
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
    When young Dorothy and her dog Toto are caught in a cyclone, their Kansas farmhouse is carried off to the magical Land of Oz. Upon being told that the only way back is to follow the yellow brick road to the Emerald City, home to the Wizard of Oz, Dorothy embarks on an extraordinary but perilous quest, in which the...
    Paperback
    $1699
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Little Women
    The four March sisters – Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy – live in financial hardship in New England with their mother, while their father has been drafted to fight in the Civil War. The girls embark on a series of adventures and endure a number of unexpected misfortunes – experiences that allow their personalities to emerge: Meg, sensible and outgoing;...
    Paperback
    $1699
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
    From his Baker Street apartment, Sherlock Holmes wields his powers of deduction in pursuit of justice and truth, venturing out into foggy Victorian London accompanied by his faithful sidekick Dr Watson. This classic collection of Holmes tales includes many of the detective’s most-loved exploits: Holmes is confronted by a venomous snake in The Adventure of the Speckled Band, mystified by...
    Paperback
    $1599
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Tales from Shakespeare
    In 1807, Charles Lamb and his sister Mary wrote a collection of stories retelling twenty of Shakespeare’s plays for children. While making sure that the pieces were accessible for a younger audience, they took care to stay faithful to the language and vocabulary of the Bard as much as possible. Ranging from the high drama of Romeo and Juliet to...
    Paperback
    $2299
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

"The first real children’s classic since Alice." – Hugh Walpole

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781847497451

Publisher: Alma Books Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 26 July 2018

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Alma Classics

Illustration: line illustrations

Contributors:

  • Illustrated by Susan Hellard
  • Illustrated by Hugh Lofting

Audience: General / adult, Children

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 14.0mm

Width: 126.0mm

Height: 196.0mm

Weight: 126g

Pages: 128

About the Author

Best known for his Doctor Dolittle books, Hugh Lofting (1886–1947) first had the idea for his unusual country doctor while writing to his children from the front during the First World War. The twelve books that followed are loved by children across the globe.

Also by Hugh Lofting

View all
  • The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle
    Hugh Lofting's tales of Doctor Dolittle, the kind and eccentric naturalist who can speak with the animals, have been classics of children's literature for a century. The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle has been fully updated for the modern reader by the author's son, Christopher Lofting. Doctor Dolittle heads for the high seas in another amazing adventure and takes nine-and-a-half-year-old Tommy...
    Paperback
    $1900
    Elsewhere:
    $2100
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Dr. Dolittle's Caravan
    Dr. Dolittle's Caravan tells the story of Doctor Dolittle's Circus, which is facing hard times. In search of a new attraction to revitalise the show, the Doctor discovers Pippinella, a canary with the most beautiful voice he's ever heard. This remarkable find seems to be the solution to the circus's problems at first. However, not everyone is content. Dab-Dab the...
    Paperback
    $3000
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Story of Doctor Dolittle
    Doctor Dolittle has been beloved by children for more a century and will soon come to life again in the new movie, The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle.The famous doctor who can speak to animals first appeared in Hugh Lofting's letters to his children during World War I and then later commercially in The Story of Doctor Dolittle, the first book in Lofting's...
    Hardback
    Sold Out

More from Children's Books

View all
  • Buy to Win
    New Release
    Giant Heart
    Meet Jonah Lomu, one of the greatest All Blacks of all time. His speed and strength on the rugby field made him famous around the world, and his fun and generous personality made him beloved, but all the while he faced a big battle with his health. “[David Hill’s] stories are wonderful, full of action and are always teaching the...
    Hardback
    $1999
    Elsewhere:
    $2500
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Cass and the Beast
    A sweeping and original picture book about a girl who chooses not to be afraid, a modern-day heroine in a story we feel in our bones like an ancient folktale. When a fearful beast arrives in the township, Cass finds her courage and is rewarded with a wild and magical journey. The creature takes her on a thundering ride through...
    Hardback
    $2399
    Elsewhere:
    $2999
    Backorder
    Ships late September
  • New Release
    The Case of the Viral Video: Violet and the Velvets 3
    Violet and the Velvets can hardly believe they've come so far in the BandChamps competition with only hard work, a smidge of talent, and a whole lot of thinking outside the box. This time, they get to record their new song in a proper recording studio and star in their very own music video! But Violet is letting her perfectionism...
    Paperback
    $1600
    Elsewhere:
    $1899
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • New Release
    Royalslinger
    K Pop Demon Hunters fans will love this! Graci Kim is back with the second book in her exciting and fantastical Slinger series where dragons and phoenixes roam the skies of Seoul; meals magically appear based on your mood; and dreams literally come to life. Praise for Dreamslinger: “A mind-blowingly original fantasy adventure—Graci Kim has done it again!”—Rick Riordan, New York Times #1...
    Paperback
    $1999
    Elsewhere:
    $2400
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • New Release
    Detective Beans and the Map of Mystery
    Enjoy this new DETECTIVE BEANS adventure in the bestselling and award-winning graphic novel series by Li Chen! Your favourite kitten detective is back with a new mystery to solve . . . and treasure to find! When Captain Scuttlebeard gives Beans a treasure map, Beans is determined to find the prize at the end. The clues take him all over...
    By Li Chen
    Paperback
    $1900
    Elsewhere:
    $2200
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Mei Mei the Bunny Mei Mei the Bunny
    New Release
    Mei Mei the Bunny
    Mei Mei the Bunny is Laufey's picture book debut about a bunny learning to believe in herself through music. Experience a heartwarming tale of self-belief in this enchanting picture book by GRAMMY Award-winning musician Laufey. Meet Mei Mei, a little bunny with a big dream—to spread joy through her music! As her debut recital at the H'Opera House draws near,...
    By Laufey
    Hardback
    $3199
    Elsewhere:
    $3800
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • New Release
    Hunted: Wolf Girl 15
    Just when Wolf Girl is finally reunited with her father, he is torn away from her once more, and Gwen vows to stop at nothing to track him down. But danger is closing in: a giant snow leopard and a mysterious hooded figure are hot on their trail. As Gwen and the pack race through deep caverns to snowy peaks,...
    By Anh Do
    Paperback
    $1699
    Elsewhere:
    $1899
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • New Release
    What If You Could
    From the former prime minister of New Zealand comes a guide for teens on chasing your dreams and embracing the unexpected qualities that truly make a person strong. When Jacinda Ardern became prime minister of New Zealand, she was one of the youngest people in the world leading a country. Many people thought she would never succeed — herself included....
    Paperback
    $2599
    Elsewhere:
    $3000
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Lonasei and the Mystery of Origin Grove
    Eleven-year-old Lonasei is lonely — she wishes her older sister Eva Grace wasn't so mean, and that her mum Aria didn't have to work so much. But when Aria inherits her childhood home, Lonasei discovers she can enter her late Aunt Malia's paintings and experience the memories within. Through them, she discovers that her mother had another sister, Agnes, who went...
    Paperback
    $2199
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Dawn Raid: The Apology
    This sequel to Dawn Raid follows Sofia Savea’s family, 50 years later, as Sofia's grandson becomes involved in the quest for a government apology. INVERCARGILL, 2020 Wow, I thought I knew a bit about the dawn raids, but this is HUGE. It happened to my OWN family and I never knew! I had no idea that Granfia and her family...
    Paperback
    $1800
    Elsewhere:
    $2099
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • Big Bang Bread
    New Release
    Big Bang Bread
    In this time-travel storybook and cookbook with a cosmic twist, take a journey through time and space to discover the secrets of baking! Did you know that bread is made from stardust? Board the rocket and blast off on an adventure through time and space to discover the secrets of a home-baked loaf! Big Bang Bread is a kids' time-travel...
    Paperback
    $1800
    Elsewhere:
    $2100
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow
  • B is for Bird
    From award-winning artist, Lily Emo, comes a beautiful celebration of birds. Paired with a fun rhyming story, gorgeous illustrations, and fold-out pages, this book is set to be a favourite for everyone and the perfect gift. Make your way through the alphabet with this stunning book featuring a cast of familiar birds. From albatross to fantails, gannets to quail, and...
    Hardback
    $1999
    Elsewhere:
    $2499
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships tomorrow

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.