Introduction: Doctor Dolittle and His Family

Lofting's sister-in-law Olga Fricker Michael (the dancer Olga Fricker) contributed this first chapter to the 1952 collection, and also wrote introductory paragraphs for some stories.

"... Because some of the stories were written in sequence with others [evidently not selected], my sister, Olga Michael, has written a short introductory paragraph to these to clarify the settings and introduce the characters. Otherwise, they stand as originally written.   The chapter: DOCTOR DOLITTLE AND HIS FAMILY, which precedes the first story, is added for new readers with the hope that they, by beginning this book at that point, will come to know the good Doctor, his human friends, and all the lovable animals who played such an important part in the adventures of John Dolittle and his friends. JOSEPHINE LOFTING" --1952 Foreword by Lofting's widow and literary executor Josephine Fricker Lofting