It is noteworthy though, that Doctor Aibolit has many similarities with the Doctor John Dolittle, a character created by Hugh Lofting (1886-1947) a couple of years before the emergence of Doctor Aibolit. It is possible that the story of Doctor Aibolit was not merely translated, but also an adapted and rewritten version of Doctor Dolittle, thus pretending it to be a different story. In a similar fashion, Pinocchio became Buratino, and the Wonderful Wizard of Oz became The Wizard of the Emerald City.Be that as it may, Tsemakh Shabad could nevertheless have been a prototype for Doctor Aibolit. When Shabad died, a monument was erected in the yard of the OZE children rehabilitation centre, and the inscription on it read “Tsemakh Shabad. The greatest friend of children” – to honour his devotion to the children and their health.