The Story of Doctor Dolittle by Hugh Lofting; Unabridged MP3 Audio Book; Narrator Nadia May

Doctor Dolittle, a little, lovable old doctor, had so many animal pets spread throughout his house and garden that patients would not come to him any more. As a result, he became poorer and poorer. But he occupied nearly all of his time as the animals’ doctor, and his fame as an animal doctor spread all over the world. When the monkeys in Africa were stricken with an epidemic, they gave the good doctor a call. He set sail at once.

The adventures during his magnificent journey across the ocean, through the high kingdom of the Jolliginki and back again by way of the Canaries, combine to form a story filled with delight.

“Nadia May has a great time hooting, greeting, barking, and grunting through this kick-off book in the famous children's series….May attempts to give each animal its species-specific voice, and she succeeds with enthusiasm, levity, and gaiety. One can picture a circle of eager, young faces drinking in this incredible and colorful tale.”—AudioFile

Hugh Lofting (1886–1947) was a British author, trained as a civil engineer, who created the character of Dr. Dolittle---one of the classics of children's literature. After serving in World War I as an officer in the Irish Guards, in which he was seriously wounded, he and his family moved to Connecticut. He was married three times and had three children.

Lofting's doctor from Puddleby-on-the-Marsh who could speak to animals first saw light in the author's illustrated letters to children, written from the trenches during World War I when actual news, he later said, was either too horrible or too dull. The stories are set in early Victorian England. The Story of Dr. Dolittle is the first title in the series. The sequel, The Voyages of Dr. Dolittle, won Lofting the prestigious Newbery Medal. Eight more books followed, and the series has been adapted for film and television many times, for stage twice, and for radio

Lofting produced a number of other books in addition to his Dr. Dolittle titles. Among his publications are the children's picture books The Story of Mrs. Tubbs and Tommy, Tilly, and Mrs. Tubbs; Porridge Poetry, a light-hearted book of poems for children; Noisy Nora; The Twilight of Magic; and Victory for the Slain, an epic poem and the only work Lofting wrote for adults.