The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle was the second of Hugh Lofting's Doctor Dolittle books to be published, coming out in 1922. It is nearly five times as long as its predecessor and the writing style is pitched at a more mature audience. The scope of the ... Read more

The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle was the second of Hugh Lofting's Doctor Dolittle books to be published, coming out in 1922. It is nearly five times as long as its predecessor and the writing style is pitched at a more mature audience. The scope of the novel is vast; it is divided into six parts and the illustrations are also more sophisticated. It won the Newbery Medal for 1923. The novel begins when Tommy Stubbins, the narrator of the story, finds a squirrel injured by a hawk. Matthew Mugg, the cat's meat man, informs him to get help from Doctor Dolittle, who can speak the language of animals. The Doctor is away on a voyage, but when he returns, he attends to the squirrel. Tommy is introduced to some of the strange animals in Dolittle's care, such as the Wiff-Waff fish, and those who care for his household, such as Dab-Dab the duck, and Jip the dog. Polynesia the parrot arrives in Puddleby from Africa informs the Doctor that Bumpo is studying in Bullford. Tommy begins his studies with Dolittle, or rather with Polynesia who teaches him the language of animals. The novel has on two occasions been adapted for the screen, the first being a 1967 DeLuxe Color musical comedy film titled Doctor Dolittle directed by Richard Fleischer and starring Rex Harrison, Samantha Eggar, Anthony Newley, and Richard Attenborough. The 1967 film primarily fused three of the Doctor Dolittle books; The Story of Doctor Dolittle, The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle, and Doctor Dolittle's Circus. The second and most recent adaptation is Dolittle (also referred to as The Voyage of Doctor Dolittle) a 2020 American fantasy comedy-adventure film directed by Stephen Gaghan from a screenplay by Gaghan, Dan Gregor, and Doug Mand, based on a story by Thomas Shepherd. A reboot of the original Doctor Dolittle film and its modern comedy counterparts, the 2020 film is based on the titular character created by Hugh Lofting and is primarily inspired by the author's second Doctor Dolittle book, The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle. Robert Downey Jr. stars as the title character, alongside Antonio Banderas and Michael Sheen in live-action roles, with Emma Thompson, Rami Malek, John Cena, Kumail Nanjiani, Octavia Spencer, Tom Holland, Craig Robinson, Ralph Fiennes, Selena Gomez, and Marion Cotillard voicing a diverse array of creatures. Universal Pictures released Dolittle in theaters in the United States on January 17, 2020. Critics gave it generally negative reviews, criticizing its screenplay and plot. The film grossed $223 million worldwide and was a box office bomb, with projected losses for the studio as high as $100 million. Less