Toto

Could a donkey ever become an astronaut? Spanish illustrator and author Ximo Abadía turns on the charm in this colourful and clever picture book which encourages children to follow their dreams however impossible they may seem to be. Living in a small town, ambitious young donkey Toto dreams of escaping what seems to be the pre-ordained life in front of him. He will never become a porter, ferrying loads up the mountainside day after day... he will become an astronaut instead! Toto bravely packs his bags, kisses his parents goodbye and sets off for the bright lights of the big city. Even when all his money for astronaut school is stolen by thieves, his hard work and stubborn determination sees him through. And when the small town is woken in the night by a huge roar, everyone is delighted to see that Toto has come back to them on a rocket. His dreams have finally come true! Abadía's endearing tale, illustrated with vivid surrealist artwork, is as imaginative as it is bold. The striking palette of vivid primary colours is the perfect complement to this warm and inspirational story. Clever in its simplicity and eye-catching in its pictorial presentation, this beautiful story proves that reaching for the stars can leave you over the moon! * Lancashire Evening Post *
This story is a lovely example of how you can do most things in life, as long as you believe in yourself. Inevitably there will be struggles and obstacles along the way and this is where kindness, love and encouragement can do wonders to help someone get on the right track again. Ximo's illustrations are perfect for the story - the primary colours are vibrant and radiate optimism. They are as much of a joy to look at as the text is to read. * Childtastic Books *

Small-town Toto wishes to escape the
inevitable life in front of him. He will become
an astronaut instead! This quirky, original
story by the acclaimed artist Ximo Abadía
has a message: never give up on your dreams.
Illustrated with vivid surrealist artwork, this
story is as imaginative as it is bold.

* Absolutely Mama *

Toto is a quirky, inspiring story which conveys an important message - follow your dreams, believe in yourself and don't give up! We love the story of a donkey who leaves his small town to travel to the big city to fulfil his dream of becoming an astronaut.The Story: Toto doesn't want to carry bags like the other donkeys so he heads to the city to try and get into space school. City life is tough but just as Toto is about to go home he meets a family who help him. But can a donkey really become an astronaut?
We are inspired by Toto's determination to fulfil his dream and the way that he leaves his home and family to try and achieve it. Life isn't easy, he needs to get a job and then his money is stolen by a gang of thieves who also mock his ambitious plans. However, at his lowest point he is helped by a mother who also dreamed of being an astronaut.
We sympathised with Toto as he plucked up courage to leave his family. But the story shows that we can achieve our dreams with the help of kind and supportive friends. The care and understanding that the family have for Toto and his plans is heartwarming and we love the final spread in which he shares his new experience with his donkey family.
Ximo Abadía's vivid surrealist illustrations are quirky, bold and humorous and perfectly complement the simplicity and originality of the story. Ximo has cleverly woven human experiences and a donkey protagonist together to create an imaginative story that leads to a happy ending for Toto. The illustrations play a huge part in portraying Toto's emotions as he adjusts to his new life, one of our favourites shows him at work - fixing umbrellas is obviously not a fulfilling role!Toto is an adorable donkey and we are so glad that he gets a happy ending. The final spread is one of the funniest picture book spreads we've seen but we don't want to spoil the end of the story for you...

* Story Snug *
Toto doesn't want to carry bags for a living like the other donkeys, instead he wants to become an astronaut. But will he find a way to make his dream come true? With bright, bold illustrations, this is a striking story about resilience and daring to be different. * Minitravellers *