Doctor Dolittle

Gr 2–5—Legendary cartoonist Chwast adapts and illustrates Lofting's classic first "Doctor Dolittle" novel, published in Britain in 1920. Stripping the story to its bare bones, slightly modernizing the setting, and formatting the tale in panels to please graphic novel lovers, this updated version introduces the story to a generation of children—and adults—who may never have heard of it, let alone read it. A good thing, too. The controversial racist elements in the original are happily omitted, but the retelling also exposes the thinness of the plot. Though young readers may be charmed by the talking-to-animals premise and fantastic story line, they'll find no drama or tension here, and the dialogue and ending are flat. Still, the good doctor's love of and concern for animals comes through. The illustrator's signature style is the real draw, with the humorous penciled drawings, rendered in soft, muted colors, expertly capturing the whimsical nature of the piece. Plenty of white space makes for a clean, not overly busy look. Hand-lettered captions, speech bubbles, and chapter headings add to the child-friendly visual appeal.