HUGH LOFTINGS'S DOCTOR DOLITTLE AND THE PIRA TES.

By Al Perkins '25.Illustrated by Philip Wende. New York:Beginner Books, Random House, Inc.,1948. 61 pp. $1.95.

Dr. Dolittle and the Pirates is a good adventure story. While returning from Africa, Dr. Dolittle is chased and caught by pirates. Dr. Dolittle gains the upper hand, with the help of the owl's quick thinking and some ferocious teeth-gnashing by several sharks, and continues his journey to England in greater comfort and ease than before.

The pirates' punishment of having to raise bird-seed for the canaries of the Canary Islands is really very funny. Two of the children who read the book for me thought it a very apt way to punish all bad people.

I thought the story was well paced and moved to its conclusion without being caught in any "blind alleys." The beginning-reader vocabulary is simple, but not drained of color. I found only one thing missing from the story and that was Polynesia the parrot. Perhaps she preferred flying to sea travel. If so, I'll bet that she was sorry to have missed all of the fun.

Mrs. Kuhlmann is the wife of Karl F. Kuhlmann, Assistant Professor of Chemistry,Dartmouth College.