Dr. Goat
Georgiana ~ Charles Clement ~ Whitman, 1950
A very famous and highly collectible book, it first came to my attention in the Loganberry Books "Most Requested" pages. Though I've coveted a copy, the few available online are always way beyond my means. Enter Peter Bondante, Charles Clement's nephew who contacted me and opened up the Dr. Goat flood gates. (Check out my interview with Peter here.) So we begin...
Dr. Goat put on his coat and went out to make some calls.
... D.G. goes out and administers to his animal patients. He gives a walrus a mustard plaster, a bat some red pills and a turtle with a broken leg a skate to ride around on. Well, when D.G. gets sick himself and is confined to bed, all the animals show up to take care of him. In the end, of course, D.G. is healed and gets well enough to go out and take care of his friends again.
A simple tale that obviously struck a cord with alot of former little people as copies of the wee book can go for upwards of $75. According to Peter, the author Georgiana (or Georgie as his Uncle Charlie used to call her) was a close friend and also acted as Charles' book agent. Who knew that a friendship from more than 60 years ago would still be alive so strong today, if nowhere else than the hearts and minds of those who remember Dr. Goat and his helping ways. Above is the original cover of the book, and below are scans of the reprint cover, some pages from the book, and some photographs of the original artwork that still hangs in Peter's home.
Also by:The Night Before Christmas
These illustrations look very familiar. Maybe I had that book as a kid, or other books by the same author.
ReplyDeleteI would love to have the script from the book....it would really be more like a little poem. Do you know them???
ReplyDeleteNatalie
It was "Pink pills for an owl with fuzz on his tongue, BLUE pills for a BAT who was very highstrung" if memory serves me correctly. MARVELOUS children's book!
ReplyDeleteI read that someone had posted this book to a pdf file. I'm assuming that's not legal. I went to the site but it had been shut down in 2009. Has anyone seen it?
ReplyDeleteA big fan.
i've never actually seen this book myself....
ReplyDeleteThe script is now at: http://raincharm.wordpress.com/2008/06/17/dr-goat/
ReplyDeleteThis has been on my list of books to find since I read about it on your blog. Our county library system doesn't own a copy, and of course it's prohibitively expensive to buy. So I just attempted to get a copy through interlibrary loan. The librarian called this week to tell me that only one library in the U.S. has the book (at least of the libraries participating in the interlibrary loan program), and that library, not surprisingly, isn't willing to loan it out. I hadn't imagined it would be so difficult to find the book. At any rate, I'm so glad to see scans of some of the pages on your website and to read the text of the book through the link provided in a prior comment. How sad that a book loved by so many is largely inaccessible now.
ReplyDeleteI have this wonderful book (blue cover) but unfortunately some of the pages are missing. This was my favorite as a small child and is was read to me and reread. I would love to find a good copy that I could actually afford! :o) I agree that it really should be reprinted. Wish we could plant the spark to get that done.
ReplyDeleteThank you Dr. Goat!
This is such a beautiful book! And what a lovely blog, right up my street. Thanks, I will hang out here, it's a nice place to be!
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely thing to say. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI had this book as a kid in the 60s -- one of my favorites. My mom sent it to me when I had my own little one, and it was once more well-loved. I had no idea it was so sought after! I will hold on to mine until my son, who is 30, has his own kids.
ReplyDeleteI'm about to be able to read this wonderful book to the 5th generation in our family. I have kept it safe for several more generations to enjoy hopefully.
ReplyDeleteI loved this book as a kid, and had many golden books as a child. Unfortunatley when my parents split the books were given away, a real crime to me. I have been unable to find a copy of this wonderful book.
ReplyDeleteMy Great Grandmother read me Dr. Goat when I was a child and I eventually had the whole book committed to memory. To impress her friends she would have me "read" it. She would turn the pages on cue, and I would recite from memory the words.
ReplyDeleteI loved this book. Seeing Maurice Sendak last night on Colbert made me think of Children's books I loved which in turn made me think of this.
I am so happy to find that other people have great memories of this too. BTW I had the Little Red Hen books as well.
"Three cheers for Doctor Goat!"
ReplyDeleteI seem to remember a verse, "He cured an owl that had the mumps, He cured a frog that had the jumps"
ReplyDeleteThis was the first childrens book my mother read to me, along with Rootie Kazootie Baseball Star.
The prices for this old book are way to high for me to ever own it again, but what a darling story for a child.
I seem to remember Dr. Goat also gave a mustard plaster to a walrus who had a cold. I had to ask my mother what a mustard plaster was. I assumed it was something similar to Vicks! I believe my mother still has this book and has read it to my kids as well. A golden oldie.
ReplyDeleteNice to hear all the good memories people have of my Uncle and Georgie's book. I was so lucky being able to find most of the original illustrations and a few copies of Dr. Goat. He would have been very happy to know his work is still appreciated. Peter
ReplyDeleteKnowing that I was trying to find some of my favorite childhood books, my 92 year old Mom called my brother from her nursing home bed and said she wanted to get Dr. Goat for me for my 63rd birhtday. They spent 45 minutes on the phone together with my brothering submitting bids to Ebay. They both laughed and got so excited as the bidding continued and my mom did win it for me. My brother wrapped the book and mailed it to me. Mother ask if I would bring it to the home and open it there with her. I did and when I saw it was Dr. Goat, I starting screaming and had to put my hand over my mounth because they don't favor screaming in nursing homes! I told her there was nothing she could have given me that I would have love more than Dr Goat. She died two weeks after my birthday. The book stands open in a very special place where I can see all the time
ReplyDelete--her final gift of love to me.
I have the blue cover version. Of the book. Loved it as a child. Loved it as a mother. Thank you for history of author. Ellen
ReplyDeleteI have the blue cover version. Of the book. Loved it as a child. Loved it as a mother. Thank you for history of author. Ellen
ReplyDeleteI read this book to my younger brother who is now 67 years old and I well remember the words. The pictures are in my memory also, now I have them visually. Thank you. I also remember many of the other books I read to him, TEN LITTLE MONKEYYS, SURPRISE IN THE BARNYARD, ETC
ReplyDeleteJeannette
We loved Dr. Goat as children. We even called our family doc Dr.Goat! (I guess we thought there was a resemblance?) I have a copy of the book and am now reading it to my grandkids. Of course, they love it too. We all have it memorized from childhood and have been known to break out in a recitation when we're all together. Love that book!
ReplyDeleteHad this book as a kid 60-odd years ago and STILL have it! It was my all-time favorite Little Golden Book. It will always be near and dear to my heart.
ReplyDelete