Dermot O’Leary, Author
Nick East, Illustrator
Series: Toto
Imprint: Hodder Children's Books
Publication date: September 11, 2025
Category: Animal stories (Children's / Teenage)
ISBN: 9781444976564
Toto is no ordinary cat, and she can’t wait for you to join her on her SIXTH ninja adventure! From one of the UK’s best-loved broadcasters.
Toto and her friends are on their way to Ireland. Their old arch rival Archduke Ferdinand needs their help infiltrating a gang who he feels sure are up to something. Toto disguises herself and soon discovers there is some very valuable treasure buried in the hills above the town in the cliffs.
The race is on – can Toto and her friends track down the treasure in time – or will their enemies get there first…?
Ideal for reading aloud or for children to curl up with and read alone, the story features brilliant black and white illustrations throughout. With themes of friendship, inclusivity and winning in the face of adversity, this is a hilarious must-read for all animal-loving kids!
From one of the UK’s best-loved broadcasters, the Toto series is purrfect for fans of The Aristocats, The Secret Life of Pets and Atticus Claw Breaks the Law. 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).’
Dermot O’Leary is the bestselling author of the five books in the Toto the Ninja Cat series.
He started his career on T4 for Channel 4 and has also presented shows for both ITV and the BBC.
Dermot presents a Saturday morning show on BBC Radio 2, ‘Saturday Breakfast with Dermot O’Leary’. The show is produced by Ora Et Labora, the production company Dermot co-founded in 2008.
Ora Et Labora also produces Rylan’s BBC Radio 2 show, a number of podcasts and the TV show ‘Reel Stories’ for BBC2, looking back at iconic singers’ lives on screen.
In 2019, he launched a podcast, ‘People, Just People’ with Audible, featuring guests including Stephen Graham, Ed Miliband and Eni Aluko.
He lives in London with his wife Dee, their son Kasper and their cats Socks and, of course, Toto.
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.