Tuesday, December 13, 2011

"The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle" by Hugh Lofting

1923 Newbery Winner.  I think that the Doctor Dolittle books were a series, and I'm not sure where this one fits in.  I grew up watching the Rex Harrison movie, so I hope I like the book as much as the movie when I was a child.

December 21:  I thoroughly enjoyed this little story, and learned there are about a dozen books in the Dolittle series.  I also learned that they have been altered a bit in more modern publications.  The world these books were written in is quite different from the political-correctness of today.  From what I gathered after some light research is that the author wasn't racist or white-supremist, he simply reflected the social culture surrounding him.  Therefore, some wordage was altered and tiny bits of plot rewoven to avoid giving unintended offense.

But that's all neither here nor there. I genuinely did enjoy the story and the characters and I wouldn't hesitate to share this book with my own children.  I find it interesting that of the two first Newbery books I've read, there are many commonalities.  Both being published a few short years after World War I, they both embrace being away-from-home by encouraging education of the world outside the front door.  I wonder if the Newbery awards had been given any earlier in the 20th century if such a permeating theme would be as appealing.  Bothb books are indirect reflections of the Great War, as well.  "The Story of Mankind" of course is a reflection of the war in a great sense of the history of the world; and the Dolittle books were inspired by letters the author wrote home to his children when he was battling on teh front.  Both books were illustrated by the authors themselves, which I personally find quite charming. 

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