Doctor Dolittle’s Garden

Doctor Dolittle’s Garden was published in 1927 and is structurally one of the strangest books in the series. The doctor is briefly back at Puddleby trying to write up his natural history notes, and most of the book takes place around his garden, his library, and the kitchen. The animal characters tell each other long stories. There is a long sequence with rats discussing their dietary preferences. There is a long sequence about an unusually large slug. There is the entire Dog Ambulance Service that the doctor sets up to rescue injured dogs across England.

The last third of the book pivots sharply. A giant moth named the Lunar Moth appears, having flown from the actual Moon, and convinces the doctor to make a voyage there. This sets up Doctor Dolittle in the Moon, the next book in the series. The novel is sometimes criticized for being slow, but the small domestic detail of Puddleby village life is some of Lofting’s gentlest writing. A book for readers who already love the doctor’s voice and want more of it.