Doctor Dolittle's Post Office

"Doctor Dolittle's Post Office" by Hugh Lofting is a children's novel written in the early 20th century. The story continues the adventures of the beloved animal doctor, John Dolittle, who possesses the unique ability to speak with animals. In this installment, Dolittle embarks on a journey filled with charming escapades and meaningful social commentary, including a quest to establish a postal service that caters not only to humans in the fictional African kingdom of Fantippo but also to the animal kingdom. At the start of the book, the narrative establishes a backdrop as Doctor Dolittle returns from a voyage to West Africa with his animal companions. Dolittle is drawn into a distressed situation when he encounters Zuzana, a woman grieving the sale of her husband to slave traders. The Doctor's deep compassion for Zuzana leads him on a mission, seeking to rescue her husband with the help of the swallows and even the British Navy. As he navigates challenges that reveal the harsh realities of the slave trade, the foundations for a postal system in Fantippo are laid—one that promises to facilitate communication for both animals and humans alike, pushing the story toward themes of connection, community, and understanding across species. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Hugh John Lofting was an English American writer, trained as a civil engineer, who created the classic children's literature character Doctor Dolittle. The fictional physician to talking animals, based in an English village, first appeared in illustrated letters to his children which Lofting sent from British Army trenches in the First World War. Lofting settled in the United States soon after the war and before his first book was published.