Toto the Ninja Cat and the Great Snake Escape: Book 1

Dermot O’Leary

Sep 2017 · Toto Book 1 · Hachette UK

About this ebook

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.

Ratings and reviews

Over all the books I've ever read (probably 900 by now) I've never ever read a book like this it was so.... we let me start over this book was: brilliant, amazing, exciting, fantastic and very very good indeed.All those words together.Unlike other books I've read after this one I was hungry for more.The fackt that the main hero of the book was my favorite animal and it was a ninja really blew me awe. My mother got it for me after she went to Manchester and I fell in love with it.I never read a book that was as good as that so eney one who reads this review I deeply recommend it.😺💖

I personally think it's a great read for most ages 5 out of 5 stars

Its really cool

About the author

Dermot O'Leary is the bestselling author of the Toto the Ninja Cat series, which has sold hundreds of thousands of copies and been translated into sixteen languages. His career in television, radio and entertainment has established him as a household name. He's presented shows for BBC, ITV and Channel 4, and his Radio 2 show airs on Saturday mornings. He is passionate about history but when he's not got his head in a history book, he enjoys time with his son and an afternoon at the Arsenal, or a nice wild swim. You can find Dermot on Twitter and Instagram: @radioleary

Nick East is the illustrator of the bestselling TOTO THE NINJA CAT series, written by Dermot O'Leary. He is also the illustrator of Michelle Robinson's popular GOODNIGHT... series. He worked for many years as a museum designer 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 is based in York.