Foreword Doctor Dolittle and the Green Canary by Hugh Lofting
When my husband, Hugh Lofting, wrote and illustrated this story of Pippinella, the green canary, for the New York Herald Tribune his intention was some day to publish the material in book form. Towards this end he wrote Doctor Dolittle's Caravan, in which the little canary appeared as the prima donna of the Doctor's canary opera and became a well–loved and established member of the Doctor's household. However, by the time the Caravan was ended, Mr Lofting found so much of Pippinella's story still untold that he began to work on another book to include all the exciting adventures which had befallen the Doctor's little friend before she joined the caravan. He also found that he had to tell the many readers, who wrote and requested further knowledge of this unique little bird, how the Doctor and his family helped to bring her tragic life story to a happy conclusion.
It was never finished. But so near had Mr Lofting come to doing so that I felt I must find a way to do it for him. When my sister, Olga Michael, whose inclination to write had been applauded and encouraged by my husband, and who had helped him during the compiling of the new material for Pippinella, offered to finish it, I and the publishers were delighted.
And so, here it is; the completed story of the green canary with only a brief first chapter to introduce the Doctor and his family to new readers and a dramatic and exciting conclusion to round out the life of the unusual little bird, Pippinella. I believe my husband would have approved.
JOSEPHINE LOFTING