First Edition The Travels of Doctor Dolittle

First Edition Identification

1967 B-48 The Travels of Doctor Dolittle

Al Perkins. Philip Wende (Illustrator). The Travels of Doctor Dolittle. New York. Beginner Books: 1967.

Pages#: 64 pages.

Book Description: Color illustrated boards wrapped in matching dust jacket. Hugh Lofting's series of chapter books featuring Doctor Dolittle began in 1920. This book is an adaptation for younger readers. An early book in the groundbreaking Beginner Book series, written specifically to help children learn to read while simultaneously engaging and entertaining them.

Pagination: Front fixed and free endpapers illustrated in color; verso of front free endpaper 1st page of 2-page title; [i] title; [ii] copyright; [iii] half-title; 3-64 story; last page of story is on the recto of back free endpaper; back free and fixed endpaper illustrated in color.

Collectibility Context

The first edition book in its original first edition DJ is a Highly Collectible: Early book in ground breaking Beginner Books series, which changed the way children learned to read in America. Embraced by the public for 57 years with hundreds of thousands of copies sold. Al Perkins wrote over 20 children's books in a career spanning decades. Doctor Dolittle, therefore good pop culture appeal.

The Collectibility of a first edition American picturebook is comprised of specific factors, as explained in detail at Factors Affecting Collectibility.

Scarcity Context

The first edition book in its original first edition DJ is Uncommon: There was only 1 first edition found in the March 2024 survey offered at $28. This first edition is not scarce, just that the market price is too low for copies to surface.

First Edition Book & Dust Jacket Descriptions

Book Front: Bound in glossy paper covered boards with color illustration. "[Beginner Books logo top right} / Hugh Lofting's / Travels of / Doctor Dolittle / ADOPTED FOR BEGINNING READERS / By Al Perkins / Illustrated by Philip Wende"

Note: Click on any of the book's images to see at larger scale.

Book Back: Bound in glossy light blue paper covered boards. Blank with no illustration or text.

Book Spine: "[BB logo] BEGINNER BOOKS [black horizontal text] Hugh Lofting's Travels of Doctor Dolittle / Perkins B-48 [black horizontal text]"

Title Page: "Hugh Lofting's / Travels of / Doctor / Dolittle / ADAPTED FOR BEGINNING READERS / By Al Perkins / Illustrated by Philip Wende"

Copyright: "[Top of page list of 11 Doctor Dolittle books written by Hugh Lofting and published by J.B. Lippincott.] (c) Copyright 1967, by Bernard M. Silbert, Executor of the Estate of Jo- / sophine Lofting. / All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Con- / ventions. Published in New York by Beginner Books, a division of Random / House, Inc., and simultaneously in Toronto, Canada, by Random House of / Canada, Limited. / From "The Story of Doctor Dolittle" by Hugh Lofting / Copyright, 1948, by Josephine Lofting. / Copyright 1920, by Hugh Lofting / Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 67-25853. / Manufactured in the United States of America."

DJ Front: Color illustration matching Book Front. "[Beginner Books logo top right} / Hugh Lofting's / Travels of / Doctor Dolittle / ADOPTED FOR BEGINNING READERS / By Al Perkins / Illustrated by Philip Wende"

DJ Back: Beginner Books DJ Back 'R': 1967 4 Titles

"The Beginner Book story ... / [Large 'Cat In The Hat' image at left] / "Ten years ago, Dr. Seuss took 220 words, rhymed them, ... [... paragraph] / From this magically right beginning has developed the concept ... [... paragraph] / Elementary Educators all over the country ... [... paragraph] / Remedial reading specialists ... [... paragraph] / Is it any wonder that sales now total over 55 million? ... [... paragraph] / Among recent Beginner Book titles are: / THE BEAR SCOUTS, by Stan and Jan Berenstain ... [... paragraph] / [BB logo] / Beginner Books are also now / available in French-English and / Spanish-English"

DJ Spine: "[BB logo] BEGINNER BOOKS [black horizontal text] Hugh Lofting's Travels of Doctor Dolittle / Perkins B-48 [black horizontal text]"

DJ Price: 195/195

DJ Flap Front: "195/195 [top right] / Hugh Lofting's / Travels of Doctor Dolittle / Adapted for Beginning Readers by Al Perkins / [Illustration] / Way back in 1920, Mr. Hugh Lofting be- ... [... paragraph] / This story tells how Doctor Dolittle ... [...paragraph] / In introducing the classic Doctor Do- ... [... paragraph] / * * * / The colorful illustrations by Philip / Wende follow the spirit of Mr. Lofting's / original sketched. / This book comes from / the home of / THE CAT IN THE HAT / Beginner Books / A DIVISION OF RANDOM HOUSE, INC."

DJ Flap Back: "[Three paragraph Hugh Lofting bio] / [shadow illustration of Dr. Dolittle] [One paragraph Al Perkins biography] / [One paragraph Philip Wende biography] / (c)Copyright 1967, by Philip Wende"

First Edition Identification

First edition book states "Published in New York by Beginner Books, a division of Random House" on the copyright page and has 'B-48' on the spine.

First edition dust jacket is Beginner Books 1967 DJ 'R' with text marketing "The Beginner Book story ..." In the last paragraph six books are listed beginning with The Bear Scouts (1967). This final paragraph only lists 5 Beginner Books.

Second Printings and Later

Second printing book is identical to first printing.

Second printing DJ is Beginner Books 1969 DJ 'S' which is very similar to 1967 DJ 'R' except the last paragraph begins by listing 'MY BOOK ABOUT ME' (1969) rather than The Bear Scouts (1967).

See Beginner Book Fronts for first edition identification of the first 50 Beginner Books.

This information is from the First Edition Identification Guide: Beginner Books (2024, Flying Moose Books), by Stan Zielinski.

© Stan Zielinski
A serious collector having fun with fun books.