by Nick East (Illustrator), Dermot O’Leary (Author)
Meet Toto: she's no ordinary cat, and she can't wait to have an adventure with you! From one of the UK's best-loved broadcasters, purrfect for fans of The Aristocats, The Secret Life of Pets and Atticus Claw Breaks the Law.
Toto the cat and her brother Silver live footloose and fancy-free in a townhouse in London. Toto is almost totally blind, and learned to trust her senses from a ninja cat-master who taught her back in Italy where they were born. By day, Toto and Silver seem to be ordinary cats, but by night, they love to have adventures!
One evening, news reaches Toto that a king cobra has escaped from London Zoo! Together with help from a very posh cat and two hungry tigers, Toto and Silver must investigate. Can they find the giant snake, before it's too late?
Ideal for reading aloud or for children to curl up with and read alone, the story features brilliant black and white illustrations throughout. With gentle themes of friendship, inclusivity and winning in the face of adversity, this is a hilarious must-read for all animal-loving kids!
Dermot says: 'The idea for Toto first came to me when my wife and I rescued two stray cats from an olive grove in Italy. One of them, Toto, has been blind from birth, but we quickly realised she had ninja-like reactions. Like a lot of cat owners (or cat servants), we like to imagine our pets having secret lives when we're out or asleep. So before I knew it I was writing about Toto and her brother Silver's nocturnal adventures around London. I really hope that children who pick it up enjoy reading the adventures of our little Italian underdog (cat).'
Toto's second adventure, The Incredible Cheese Heist, comes out in September 2018.
Format: Paperback
Pages: 192
Edition: 1
Publisher: Hodder Children's Books
Published: 21 Sep 2017
ISBN 10: 1444939459
ISBN 13: 9781444939453
Children’s book age: 7-9 Years
Dermot O'Leary (Author)
Toto the Ninja Cat series was inspired by Dermot O'Leary's real-life cats.
Dermot started his career on T4 for Channel 4, and has presented shows for both ITV and the BBC. His best known work includes ten series of The X Factor, Big Brother's Little Brother, BBC3's First Time Voters Question Time, Unicef's Soccer Aid, the RTS Award winning 'Live from Space' season following the International Space Station's orbit of the Earth in 2014 and the Brit Awards which he presented with Emma Willis in 2016.
2017 saw Dermot launch his new Saturday morning show on BBC Radio 2, 'Saturday Breakfast with Dermot O'Leary'. Previously in the Saturday afternoon slot, 'The Dermot O'Leary Show' won three Sony Radio Awards and was well known for its support of new and emerging bands.
2018 saw Dermot host the National Television Awards for the ninth time. He also joined Kirsty Young and Huw Edwards to host the BBC's coverage of the Royal Wedding in front of an audience of 13 million people.
Dermot lives in London with his wife Dee and their cats Socks and, of course, Toto.
You can find Dermot on Twitter and Instagram - @radioleary
Nick East (Illustrator)
Nick East is the illustrator of the bestselling Toto the Ninja Cat as well as the Goodnight Digger and Knock Knock series. He has been working as a museum designer for the past 16 years but has always been a storyteller, whether as a child, filling sketchbooks with quirky characters, or as a designer displaying a collection of ancient artefacts. Nick lives near York with his wife and two children and, when he isn't drawing, he is out riding bikes and spending time with his family.
Find Nick at nickeastillustration.com