''Doctor Dolittle's Caravan'' is a novel written by

Hugh Lofting Hugh John Lofting (14 January 1886 – 26 September 1947) was an English-American writer, trained as a civil engineer, who created the classic children's literature character Doctor Dolittle. The fictional physician talking to animals, based i ...

and published in 1926 by Frederick A. Stokes. It deals with the titular character's bird opera, centering on a female green canary named Pippinella. It is one of many books Hugh Lofting authored about Doctor John Dolittle.

Plot summary

Pippinella is special in that she possesses what is generally assumed to be an exclusive trait of male canaries:

birdsong Bird vocalization includes both bird calls and bird songs. In non-technical use, bird songs (often simply ''birdsong'') are the bird sounds that are melodious to the human ear. In ornithology and birding, songs (relatively complex vocalization ...

. Ultimately, Doctor Dolittle creates a "Canary Opera" (using canaries and other bird species as well), based on Pippinella's life story. This opera, jointly composed by both the Doctor and Pippinella, becomes an overwhelming success in the Regent Theatre, London. He also shuts down a poorly run pet store and receives accolades from

Niccolò Paganini Niccolò (or Nicolò) Paganini (; ; 27 October 178227 May 1840) was an Italian violinist and composer. He was the most celebrated violin virtuoso of his time, and left his mark as one of the pillars of modern violin technique. His 24 Caprices ...

himself. The novel disrupts the chronological order of the series, with events occurring between '' Doctor Dolittle's Circus'' and '' The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle'' despite the book's publication between ''

Doctor Dolittle's Zoo ''Doctor Dolittle's Zoo'' was written and illustrated by Hugh Lofting in 1925. In the book, Doctor Dolittle returns from his voyages and sets his house in order. This includes expanding his zoo to include a home for crossbred dogs and a club ...

'' and '' Doctor Dolittle's Garden''. This book is the follow-up to ''Doctor Dolittle's Circus'', for the Doctor (at this point in time) is still operating the circus he inherited from the runaway former owner, Albert Blossom. Pippinella's eventual fate, and Doctor Dolittle's final adventures with her, are ultimately revealed in the much later book, '' Doctor Dolittle and the Green Canary''.

References

External links

{{Doctor Dolittle books Doctor Dolittle books 1926 British novels 1926 fantasy novels British children's novels 1926 children's books Frederick A. Stokes Company books