Toto #1: Toto the Ninja Cat and the Great Snake Escape by Dermot O'Leary (author) and Nick East (illustrator) (UK edition)

From bestselling children’s author and TV broadcaster, Dermot O’Leary, comes an action-packed new adventure from Toto the ninja cat – a snake has escaped London Zoo and it’s up to her to find it! 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 by Nick East. 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).’

Have you seen Toto’s other adventures? The Incredible Cheese Heist, The Superstar Catastrophe, The Mystery Jewel Thief and The Legend of the Wildcat are out now, and make perfect gifts for young readers.

For more animal adventures, discover Wings of Glory. Can one tiny bird help to win a world war? A funny action-adventure story with a feathery twist, from the bestselling children’s author of Toto the Ninja Cat, Dermot O’Leary, with glorious illustrations throughout by Claire Powell.

Product Details

Series

Toto (book 1)

Format

Paperback

ISBN

9781444939453

Publisher

Hodder Children's Books

Date published

September 7th, 2017

Lexile measure

790L

Accelerated Reader

AR book level: 5.0; Middle years; 2.0 points

Other details

192 pages

Condition

New

UK edition

Part of this Series

Toto

Reviews

This product has not been reviewed yet.

Case study

Aly Ward from Hawkinge Primary School, Kent takes a look at Daily Times Tables Teasers Ages 5-7 for us.

The innovative nature of the resource

There are many resources that contain such ideas as this but I have yet to see them collected together is one resource and this makes it more useful. I have not seen any maths resources set out under the learning styles. The impact on learning and the work of the teacher in the classroom, to what extent and in which areas I think that this will be a useful resource as the activities can be quickly administered without too much preparation time. The teaching of tables is often a difficult thing especially for less able pupils and they often dislike maths. This is a good way to make it fun and adapted to meet those pupils who are not auditory learners (as that is the most common way for tables to be taught)

How the resource supports or enhances the everyday life or work of teachers, pupils or school

All pupils need to learn their tables as it is an integral part of maths. I think that teachers will probably try some of the games and stick to their (and the pupils) favourites. There is such a big choice they there is something for everyone. For those who need more practise than others they will be able to try many different activities and this should stop the practise from becoming stale. They could even be suggested as homework activities.

Cost effectiveness in terms of educational aims and results – not just price.

There are many commercially available ways to teach tables and these can be fun e.g. Maths Whizz but this shows that it can be more cost effective to do it yourself. With interactive whiteboards teachers can adapt these ideas and make their own resources. Initially it seems expensive for a fairly thin book but when you realise how many activities are contained then it seems value for money.