The Story of Dr. Dolittle

Editors

Jerry Stemach, MS, CCC-SLP

Karen Erickson, PhD Center for Literacy and Disability Studies University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Exclusively Published by

Don Johnston Incorporated 26799 West Commerce Drive Volo, IL 60073 USA myreadtopia.com

Start to Finish L.L.C. grants the rights for teachers and other educational professionals to download, print, reproduce, and distribute this book with students, or portions of it in any form, in both print and electronic formats while their subscription is active. Birds, Mammals, and Reptiles

The Story of Dr. Dolittle

by Hugh Lofting

retold by Mary J. Chester

Don Johnston Incorporated Volo, Illinois Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Doctor Dolittle ...... 5 Chapter 2 An Animal Doctor ...... 10 Chapter 3 More Trouble with Money ...... 14 Chapter 4 A Long Journey ...... 22 Chapter 5 Polynesia and the King ...... 25 Chapter 6 Many Sick Animals ...... 30 Chapter 7 A Rare Animal ...... 37 Chapter 8 Prince Bumpo ...... 41 Chapter 9 Pirates! ...... 46 Chapter 10 Going Home ...... 51 About the Readtopia Author ...... 55 About the Original Author ...... 57 Chapter 1 5 Doctor Dolittle

This is Doctor Dolittle.

Dr. Dolittle likes people. Dr. Dolittle likes animals more. 6 Look at his house. He has lots of animals! 7

This animal is Jip, the dog.

This animal is Chee-Chee. 8

This animal is Polynesia, the parrot. Polynesia talks.

Dr. Dolittle has a problem. Animals cost money. 9

Dr. Dolittle needs more money. 10 Chapter 2 An Animal Doctor

Dr. Dolittle helps sick animals. 11 Polynesia has an idea. She teaches Dr. Dolittle animal language! 12 Dr. Dolittle can talk to animals! Animals can talk to Dr. Dolittle! 13 Animals come to Dr. Dolittle.

They all want to stay. But they can’t pay. 14 Chapter 3 More Trouble with Money

People bring sick dogs. Dr. Dolittle talks to the dogs. 15 He makes them well. People pay the doctor. 16

Farmers bring sick cows. Dr. Dolittle talks to the cows. 17

He makes them well. Farmers pay him. 18

Look! A big crocodile! The crocodile is scary! 19

People won’t bring their animals. No more money! 20

Now, Chee-Chee’s family is sick! His family lives in Africa. Dr. Dolittle wants to help them. 21

But Africa is far away. Dr. Dolittle will need a boat. 55

About the Readtopia Author

Mary J. Chester is not a real name. Mary J. Chester is a name that was made up by a real person who has a different name.

Have you ever heard of Mark Twain? Mark Twain wrote about Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer. But Mark Twain’s real name is Samuel Langhorne Clemens. We say that Mark Twain and Mary J. Chester are pen names.

So who is Mary J. Chester? What is Mary J. Chester’s real name? Jerry Stemach

Jerry took all of the letters in his name — J-e-r-r-y-S-t-e-m-a-c-h — then put them in a different order. What did he get? M-a-r-y-J-C-h-e-s-t-e-r

Would you like a pen name? What would it be? 57

About the Original Author

Hugh Lofting was born in England in 1886. During his life, he lived in England, Canada, Africa, and the United States. When World War I started in 1914, Hugh was married with two children. He left his family to fight in the war. He promised to write letters to his children. But the war was terrible! Hugh could not tell his children about bloody battles. He could not tell them about horses and men who were shot and killed. So, he decided to write letters about a make-believe man who talked to animals.

When the war ended, Hugh’s letters were made into a chapter book, The Story of Doctor Dolittle.