Doctor Dolittle's Puddleby Adventures facts for kids

Doctor Dolittle's Puddleby Adventures is a fun Doctor Dolittle book written by Hugh Lofting. It's a special collection of stories that Lofting wrote a long time ago. These stories were first published in a newspaper, the Herald Tribune Syndicate, in the 1920s. Later, they were gathered together for the very first time in this book, which came out after Lofting had passed away.

About the Book

This book is part of the famous Doctor Dolittle series. Doctor Dolittle is a kind doctor who can talk to animals! He goes on many exciting adventures with his animal friends. Doctor Dolittle's Puddleby Adventures was published in 1952. It was put together by J. B. Lippincott & Co., a publisher. The book was released after the author, Hugh Lofting, had died.

What's Inside?

The book originally started with two special introductions. One was a short "Foreword" by Josephine Lofting. The other was an "Introduction" by Hugh Lofting's sister-in-law, Olga Michael. After these, there were eight exciting Doctor Dolittle stories by Hugh Lofting himself:

• "The Sea Dog"
• "Dapple"
• "The Dog Ambulance"
• "The Stunned Man"
• "The Crested Screamers"
• "The Green Breasted Martins"
• "The Story of the Maggot"
• "The Lost Boy"

Some newer versions of the book might not have all of these stories or introductions.

Where Do These Stories Fit?

Many of the stories in Doctor Dolittle's Puddleby Adventures actually fit into other Doctor Dolittle books! It's like finding missing pieces of a puzzle.

• The first four stories, "The Sea Dog," "Dapple," "The Dog Ambulance," and "The Stunned Man," can be read at the start of the 1927 novel Doctor Dolittle's Garden.
• "The Green Breasted Martins" fits right after Chapter XII in The Story of Doctor Dolittle (1920).
• "The Crested Screamers" and "The Lost Boy" belong in Part One, Chapter 12 of the 1926 book Doctor Dolittle's Caravan.
• "The Story of the Maggot" is a longer version of a short summary found at the end of Part Two, Chapter 4 of Doctor Dolittle's Garden.