First published in 1920, The Story of Doctor Dolittle , or Being the History of His Peculiar Life at Home and Astonishing Adventures in Foreign Parts , is Hugh Lofting’s classic children’s novel about the animal-loving British country doctor, John Dolittle, who learns he can talk to animals with help from his pet parrot Polynesia. In this first book in a series of titles about Doctor Dolittle’s adventures, the good doctor puts his unique skills to use when he has to leave his beloved home in Puddleby-on-the-Marsh and travel to Africa with his pets to help cure a terrible monkey epidemic. Doctor Dolittle and his pets, including Jip, his loyal dog and Dab-Dab, his housekeeping duck, encounter all manner of adventure and misfortune during their trip, from a shipwreck, to being kidnapped, to encounters with pirates, and to the discovery of unique and interesting animals. After finally curing the monkeys, Doctor Dolittle and his pets are able to return to their idyllic country home with grand treasures and amazing stories to tell from their voyage. This edition includes all the original illustrations by the author and is printed on premium acid-free paper.