Toto: The Dog-Gone Amazing Story of the Wizard of Oz

Papa Toto likes to tell his litter of puppies the story of his adventure with his faithful companion Dorothy. According to Papa Toto, he was out chasing Uncle Henry's hat, which had blown off his head in the huge wind gusts, and Dorothy was out chasing him, which is why he and Dorothy weren't in the cellar with the rest of the family when the tornado descended on their farm in Kansas. The pair scramble back to the farmhouse, and it ends up getting swept up in the twister, and they are dumped unceremoniously in the mysterious land of Oz, accidentally landing on the Wicked Witch of the East. Their first encounter in the strange land is with the Munchkins. After telling them of their desire to get back home, the Munchkins inform the pair they must travel on the yellow brick road to Emerald City and consult with the Wizard of Oz, who can possibly help them return home to Kansas. Along the way to Emerald City, they meet up with a series of unique characters on the yellow brick road: a scarecrow who is convinced he has no brains, a tin man without a heart, and a cowardly lion. According to Papa Toto, he is the one who decides they can trust the Scarecrow, because he likes the smell of him; he is the one who sniffs out the metallic scent of the Tin Man; and he proceeds to protect Dorothy from the Lion. Believing the Wizard may be able to help them as well, Dorothy invites them to accompany her and Papa Toto. When they all arrive at Emerald City, and finally meet the Wizard, they hear his booming voice, but can not see him. Papa Toto is the one who knocks over a screen to reveal the true identity of the Wizard. After pleading their case, the Wizard is able to solve the problems of the three characters, and he advises Dorothy if she wants to get back home, all she has to do is take Papa Toto in her arms, click her heels together three times, and wish to return home. Instantly, she begins to rapidly whirl through the air, landing back in Kansas, where she rushes to the farmhouse, and runs to Aunt Em, saying I'm so glad to be home again! ==Background==

Morpurgo says the idea to write the book came from his frequent collaborator, illustrator Emma Chichester Clark, and his publisher Ann-Janine Murtagh. He said that he initially abstained from writing the book, because it was "never one of his favourite films". He found "some of the skipping and some of the songs really irritating", and he had actually never read the book. He recalls that Clark kept nudging him about the proposal, and "wouldn’t leave it alone". So he decided to read the book for the first time, and says "I didn't realise what I had been missing all these years". After finishing the book, he thought Toto had "little to no real part in the story", and he agreed to write the novel so Toto could "tell the story in his own voice". ==Reviews==

Emily Bearn wrote in The Daily Telegraph that the novel is a "touching and swift-paced adventure, in which the magic of America's greatest fairy tale – the Emerald City, the Munchkins, the Yellow Brick Road – is rebranded in Morpurgo's familiar, seamlessly readable prose. Morpurgo's style is very different to Baum's lyricism. But his great skill is his ability to tell complex stories in simple, chatty language, which is exactly what he manages here". Diana Barnes of the School Librarian notes "that Morpurgo's novel is faithful to the original book where it is Toto who knocks over a screen in the Emerald City to reveal the reality of the Wizard of Oz, but he keeps the film's version of the red shoes that Dorothy gains from the Wicked Witch of the East, not silver as in the book". She also complimented Emma Chichester Clark's illustrations as "plentiful and fun", and overall she concludes that "this is a glossy and very beautiful book. It is good to read the well-known story from another point of view". Mariko Turk wrote in The Horn Book Guide that the novel's "familiar scenes from the classic tale remain, interspersed with Toto's amusing asides, and Emma Chichester Clark's double-page, single-page, and vignette illustrations bring the humor and wonder of Oz to life". He further opined that the book "should please both fans of the movie and Baum devotees". The Irish Independent said it was a "clever version of The Wizard of Oz", and "the illustrations are gently coloured, bringing this adventure tale to vivid life for younger readers". ==Film adaptation==

In July 2018, Warner Animation Group announced they were going to produce an animated film based on the book. Character designer Tona Grasa replied to the post the same day, saying that he "worked on this project along some amazing designers at Animal Logic after this. We were on this rollercoaster of a dream project for about two years until the project got put "on hold". We were always in awe of what all you wonderful artists did for the reproduction! A real shame the project will never see the light of day.", later replying to his reply with "preproduction " the same day. ==See also==