Thanks for your comment Eva.

I think I know why Doctor Dolittle may not have been a success in Sweden even though the Swedish language Wikipedia has a “stub” about Lofting and mentions that at least the first book was translated not less than five times – most recently in 1978. However, as with so many books from the period, there is an undercurrent of racism in some of what Lofting wrote – and more than an undercurrent in some of his illustrations. (Think: Astrid Lindgren, Pippi, neggerkungen and multiply that by some number.) I don’t think he was racist, but I think he reflected the perceptions of his day in a way that hasn’t been acceptable for 50 years or more. Probably longer in Sweden. I note that the two later Swedish translations were not of Lofting’s original text and had illustrations by another artist.

As for the story creating idea, I don’t think it’s central to the books (though I suspect it’s exactly how Lofting went about inventing his stories). It’s just that it stuck in my memory.