The story of Doctor Aibolit's appearance is reminiscent of the story of the puppet man Buratino, who originated from a wooden puppet named Pinocchio from an Italian fairy tale, or the story of the Wizard of the Emerald City, which arose as a result of retelling Frank Baum's fairy tale.
In the 1920s, Korney Chukovsky came across the first of fourteen (in the future) books about the "animal Doctor Dolittle", written by the English writer Hugh Lofting. According to Lofting, the idea to write such a book came to him at the front. He was impressed by the courageous behavior of horses and mules under fire and invented a little doctor for them to ease their suffering.
Chukovsky began translating Lofting's book into Russian, was deeply moved by the noble mission of the fictional doctor, and wrote his own completely independent tale about Doctor Aibolit, which became one of the most beloved by many generations of young readers. He not only came up with the name of the main character, but also introduced dozens of realities into the text that were not in the original.
The main thing about Doctor Aibolit is his kindness, ability to heal any patient, knowledge of animal language and heroism, sometimes bordering on recklessness. He never refused to help anyone and did not take money from the poor and animals.
In order to save sick monkeys, Doctor Aibolit set off on a dangerous journey to Africa. He bravely fought with treacherous pirates, robbers and the evil Barmaley, got caught in storms and suffered a shipwreck more than once. He cured all his patients and, together with his friends – the dog Avva, the pig Khryu-Khryu, the owl Bumba, Tyanitolkai and other characters, helped the boy Penta find his father.
Chukovsky's story is valuable not only for the exciting adventures it describes. It contains a picture of the world that is understandable to a child of 5-8 years old. Evil is evil, and it must be punished. No half-tones.
The reissue of Korney Chukovsky's fairy tale "Doctor Aibolit" includes two parts: "Journey to the Land of Monkeys" and "Penta and the Sea Pirates". It was these that artist Vladimir Konashevich illustrated with love and deep attention to the characters and details.
Recommended reader age: 0+
Author: Korney Ivanovich Chukovsky
Artist: Vladimir Konashevich
Year of issue: 2025
Publisher: Melik-Pashayev
Pages: 96
Cover type: hardcover binding
Dimensions: 260 × 198 × 15 mm
ISBN: 978-5-00041-621-1