This book was recognised by the Newbery Award. The Newbery Medal was named for eighteenth-century British bookseller John Newbery. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.

This book is part of a book series called Illustrated Junior Library .

This book is aimed at children in primary school.

There are 276 pages in this book. This book was published 1999 by Penguin Putnam Inc .

Best known for his Doctor Dolittle books, Hugh Lofting (1886-1947) first had the idea for his unusual country doctor while writing to his children from the front during the First World War. The twelve books that followed are loved by children across the globe.