The story centers on Dougie, a teenage boy with an intense fear of animals. When he encounters the long-lost family parrot, Polly, he discovers he has inherited the special ability to talk with animals from his famous grandfather, Doctor Dolittle. At first, this ability feels like a curse to critter-phobic Dougie, but he overcomes his fear to help his new animal friends fight an unscrupulous feed company and save the city.