Winner of the Newbery Medal for 1923, “The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle” is Hugh Lofting’s follow-up to his popular children’s book “The Story of Doctor Dolittle”. First published in 1922, the book continues the saga of Doctor Dolittle, the man who can talk to animals. At the beginning of the story we find Tommy Stubbins, the young son of the local cobbler, who has found a squirrel that has been injured by a hawk. Wanting to help the squirrel he learns of a man named Doctor Dolittle who can speak the language of animals and may be able to help the injured squirrel. Wanting to learn how to speak to animals, Tommy is taken on by Doctor Dolittle as his assistant after helping the injured squirrel. Together the two set out to find Long Arrow, the greatest naturalist in the world, in an adventure that takes them to the Mediterranean, South America, and even under the sea. Nearly five times the length of its predecessor, “The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle” exhibits a more mature style of writing than Lofting’s first installment in the series with illustrations that are more sophisticated as well. This edition includes all the original illustrations by the author.
