Lofting, Hugh, 1886–1947, American writer of juvenile stories, b. Maidenhead, England. He settled in the United States in 1912. His famous "Dr. Dolittle" stories, which concern an extraordinary country doctor with a great love of animals, began as letters to his children during World War I. They include The Story of Dr. Dolittle (1920), The Voyages of Dr. Dolittle (1922), and Dr. Dolittle and the Secret Lake (1948). All were illustrated by Lofting himself.

Lofting, Hugh (John)

(born Jan. 14, 1886, Maidenhead, Berkshire, Eng.—died Sept. 26, 1947, Santa Monica, Calif., U.S.) British-born U.S. author and illustrator. He lived principally in the U.S. from 1912. He is known for his classic children's books about Doctor Dolittle, a chubby, gentle, eccentric physician to animals who learns their language the better to treat them. He originally created the character to entertain his children in letters he sent from the front during World War I. The Story of Dr. Dolittle (1920) won instant success; it was followed by The Voyages of Dr. Dolittle (1922, Newbery Medal), Dr. Dolittle in the Moon (1928), and Dr. Dolittle's Return (1933), among many other volumes.