Review by Booklist Review
Graphic designer Chwast brings his eclectic vision to Hugh Lofting's classic novel in this graphic adaptation. Intended to update the original story for a twenty-first-century audience, Chwast's take condenses each chapter of the original into a handful of comic panels, retaining only the major themes and plot points. Using his distinctive art style, Chwast employs bold illustrations to carry the story, although readers not familiar with the original novel in its broader context may find the stripped-down narrative somewhat disjointed. Ample white space amplifies the candy-colored hues throughout the book, and the ink-and-crayon palette works in tandem with the simple, childlike drawing. Varying panel sizes and creative use of space help create energy, offsetting the sometimes static characters. Although the visual treatment is certainly modern, traces of Lofting's colonial perspective remain intact and may be jarring to contemporary readers. Idiosyncratic almost to the point of absurdity, this will appeal to readers who enjoy the offbeat and unusual.--Hayes, Summer Copyright 2015 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Chwast, who adapted The Odyssey and The Canterbury Tales into short graphic narratives, condenses Hugh Lofting's colonialist 1920 novel into a snappy albeit still colonialist comics-style picture book. Fourteen chapters occupy a multipanel page or two each, focusing on the amiable cooperation between Dolittle and his animal companions, known as "the pets." After learning animal language from his parrot, Polynesia, Dolittle sails to a nonspecific African region, intending to rescue ailing monkeys. There he meets an unsympathetic, unnamed king and queen, who jail him and his menagerie. Once Polynesia tricks the royals, Dolittle continues his mission to save the monkeys. Chwast excises Lofting's racial stereotypes while preserving Dolittle's encounter with Barbary Coast pirates; a kindly shark asks, "Do you want us to eat these pirates?" and Dolittle magnanimously replies, "No thanks, but maybe you could keep them busy for a while." Lofting's two-headed Pushmi-Pullyu likewise remains a fixture, earning money for the doctor as a seaside fair attraction. Chwast's flippant line illustration and imperfect crayoning communicate a casual approach as he hits the highlights and dispenses with anachronistic elements. Ages 9-12. (Oct.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Review by School Library Journal Review
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. VERDICT This spare version might encourage some readers to seek out the novel and its sequels. Young picture book aficionados will enjoy it, too. Recommended for large public library collections.-Carol Goldman, Queens Library, NY © Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Chwast presents the 1920s classic tale of a globetrotting vet who can talk to animals in an inviting comic form, distilling the plot down to major points. The concept is perennially appealing, but it's unfortunate that some content (e.g., Dolittle's travels to generic "Africa") wasn't updated. Chwast's clean, open design brings the story to a younger audience. (c) Copyright 2016. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Following successful graphic adaptations of Canterbury Tales (2011) and The Odyssey (2012), Chwast ups the ante with Hugh Lofting's more challenging classic. Good luck. The abridgment necessary to squash the full-length novel into 32 illustrated pages allows Chwast to avoid through omission some but not all of the original's controversies"Jolliginki" and its African prince, Bumppo, with his yen to be white, go unmentionedand update its fustian language ("What do you want?" asks the Pushmi-Pullyu. "We want you to go to England with Dr. Dolittle and put on shows"). The illustrations, likewise sketchy, feature a nattily attired doctor and his animal friends drawn simply in ink and pale colored pencil, all placed in spacious panels with legibly hand-lettered captions, chapter heads, and dialogue. These days, the 1920 original makes uncomfortable reading (and, with Lofting's illustrations, viewing) even in bowdlerized contemporary editions. In this boiled-down form, its parochial attitudes can still be discernedbut so can those lightly presented themes of compassion and respect for all living things that have given it enduring value. Whether this meets a real need is debatable, but the format has its appeal for children still working on reading skills. (Graphic classic. 7-10) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
