Hugh Lofting was an English-American author and illustrator best known for creating Doctor Dolittle, the kindly physician who learns to speak with animals. His stories combine adventure, humor, and an imaginative sympathy for other creatures. The doctor's unusual household and journeys offer a world in which listening across differences opens the way to friendship and discovery.

Trained as a civil engineer, Lofting served in the British Army during the First World War. Doctor Dolittle first appeared in illustrated letters he sent home to his children from the trenches. After the war, Lofting settled in the United States, where the character developed into a successful series of books that he both wrote and illustrated.

The Story of Doctor Dolittle introduced readers to the doctor and his animal companions, while The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle won the Newbery Medal. Further adventures carried the series into increasingly fantastic settings. Lofting also wrote other books for children and poetry. His work remains influential in animal fantasy, although racial stereotypes in the original texts have led to criticism and revisions in later editions.