Overview

The trees and grass are disappearing to make way for a new section of road. Toletis, his dog Amenophis, friends Claudia and Tutan are on a mission to find ingenious ways of replacing them and turning their little valley town, set deep in the mountains, lusciously green again. The odds are stacked against them. Can they succeed... with some very unusual help? A deep appreciation for nature, art, language, music, friendship, family, the passing of time, old age, loneliness, and the importance of sitting still and reflecting on life, pervade this exquisite story. A must read for 7 to 107 year olds! The stories are accompanied by gorgeous illustrations and have been used by in schools for teaching descriptive and figurative language, art and crafts (with students exploring different media inspired by scenes from the book), and environmental awareness classes. Encourages readers to become acute observers and engage with the natural world around them; perfect antidote to smart phones and computers!

Full Product Details

9781911107149

Table of Contents

Reviews

"""Toletis is one of the most descriptive books I have read this year. I believe this book captures every season in absolute beauty whilst being funny and interesting."" -- Sam (aged 9), Newsletter 48; ""A book full of respect for the creativity and open hearts of children... an uplifting, funny and delightful collection of stories...Toletis captures a childhood all young children deserve."" -- Zoe Toft; ""A delightful book full of wisdom and love for the natural world and beautifully enhanced by the striking illustrations. According to Toletis, nature teaches us many lessons, whether or not we want to learn them or are clever enough to understand them"" -- Joy Court, Lovereading4kids.co.uk"

""Toletis is one of the most descriptive books I have read this year. I believe this book captures every season in absolute beauty whilst being funny and interesting."" -- Sam (aged 9), Newsletter 48; ""A book full of respect for the creativity and open hearts of children... an uplifting, funny and delightful collection of stories...Toletis captures a childhood all young children deserve."" -- Zoe Toft; ""A delightful book full of wisdom and love for the natural world and beautifully enhanced by the striking illustrations. According to Toletis, nature teaches us many lessons, whether or not we want to learn them or are clever enough to understand them"" -- Joy Court, Lovereading4kids.co.uk

Toletis is one of the most descriptive books I have read this year. I believe this book captures every season in absolute beauty whilst being funny and interesting. -- Sam (aged 9), Newsletter 48; A book full of respect for the creativity and open hearts of children... an uplifting, funny and delightful collection of stories...Toletis captures a childhood all young children deserve. -- Zoe Toft; A delightful book full of wisdom and love for the natural world and beautifully enhanced by the striking illustrations. According to Toletis, nature teaches us many lessons, whether or not we want to learn them or are clever enough to understand them -- Joy Court, Lovereading4kids.co.uk

Toletis is a book to savour, like roast potatoes at just the right temperature. The aromas and sounds are like the snapping of crisp branches in a winter's evening. It is soothing, like a cat purring in the mist. And it is a pleasure to behold thanks to Elena Hormiga's joyful illustrations. Eva San Martin, nature columnist; Highly recommended for children and a sound recommendation for those of us that are a bit older but want to remember the excitement of discovering the world around us ... World Wildlife Fund, Spain; When Toletis comes round your house and shows you his mountains, mist and adventures, you don't want him to leave. Toletis is one to keep on the bedside table to fill your dreams with a magical, deep peace. Josefina Maestre, environmental journalist, editor of Birds and Nature magazine, presenter of Nature Reserve, an environmental program on Spanish National Radio R5; Toletis' big heart and the powerful images in the book awaken a desire in readers of all ages to care for the earth we inhabit. Thanks to the deftness and ingenuity of the author's prose, reading these tales leaves you thinking one thing above all else: I want more! Maisa Marban, storyteller. She has worked with Toletis for several years at festivals, schools and bookshops; Toletis is an ideal book to take the children out of the classroom and into a world of nature and friendship; it awakens their creativity and imagination. It is useful as a textbook for thinking about the values relating to science, art and language and it has become an inexhaustible source of activities and resources. Miriam Leiros, primary school teacher in a public school in Galicia, Spain using PBL teaching methods.

My rating: In Toletis, there are lots of different stories and they are all hilarious. Toletis is one of the most descriptive and silly books I have read this year. I believe this book captures every season in absolute beauty whilst being funny and interesting. -- Sam (aged 9) * Newsletter 48 * A book full of respect for the creativity and open hearts of children... an uplifting, funny and delightful collection of stories...Toletis captures a childhood all young children deserve. -- Zoe Toft Toletis is a beautiful book. Incredibly easy to read and painting a beautiful world which is so real you can almost smell it. It takes you back to the innocence of childhood, where imagination takes over during play and almost anything can happen. You are allowed into their world, told their secret words and in-jokes, and you feel it's a privilege to do so. Toletis is a strong and sensitive boy who is interested in helping save the planet and noticing the smaller details... I love the descriptive language used throughout and it's a really gentle book. Our boys are not all rough and tumble and superheros. I love this book for honouring our thoughtful boys. Toletis is a thinker and his reflections are often accompanied by full-page color illustrations. Our always on generation would do themselves a favor by looking out their own windows and seeing the beauty that Toletis has found. The values contained in the pages - of love for the outdoors, animals and plants, friendship, family, being in touch with your emotions - make the world a better place. If you believe that the best hope we have for a safe, peaceful planet is to teach children to love the environment and one another, then I recommend that you read Toletis with the children in your life. This beautiful philosophical tale by Spanish author Rafa Ruiz is suffused with flowing poetic prose. Each chapter provides a snapshot of Toletis' childhood, what he thinks, how he feels - acute observations on nature, animals and people. Toletis is an absolute must read for both children and adults. With extraordinary artwork by Elena Hormiga this captivating story is one to relish; it's timeless because it can be read again and again. A book that is surely destined to become a classic. This beautifully illustrated book perfectly captures the wonder of a child's mind in a way that I haven't seen anywhere else. Gently touching on everyday problems such as loss, love and heartbreak; Toletis is a uniquely wonderful perspective on life through the eyes of a child. The stories of their adventures remind me of the Pippi Longstocking stories by Astrid Lindgren. They have the same dream-like, surreal quality that speak of a deep connection with childhood fantasy, yet take the 'business' of childhood and how children view the world very seriously. I would recommend it especially for thoughtful children or those with an interest in the environment. Full of whimsy and wonder these stories, about a young Spanish boy and environmental champion, will weave their gentle magic on any reader. ...infused with the wonder of the natural environment these stories, which follow the seasons of the year in a remote mountain valley, introduce us to Toletis, a true hero of our times. From his passionate interest in Egyptology (hence his adopted name and the names he gives his dog and best friend) to the invented language he shares with Aunt Josefina this boy is endlessly surprising. Both humour and pathos are beautifully portrayed in the jokes and mutual teasing of the children and in the descriptions of the way Toletis misses his Grandfather Rafael enormously, but sees him every day ` in the last rays of sunlight before night'. A delightful book full of wisdom and love for the natural world and beautifully enhanced by the striking illustrations. According to Toletis, nature teaches us many lessons, whether or not we want to learn them or are clever enough to understand them. -- Joy Court, Lovereading4kids.co.uk

Author Information

Rafa Ruiz is a journalist and author who has a staunch commitment to culture, art and the environment, and the majority of his career has been focused on these three topics. He is also one of the partner-founders of the Press Association for Environmental Information (APIA). Elena Hormiga is an illustrator with a sense of humour. Her fun pictures are imbued with irony and metaphor. She studied and worked as an engineer and later turned to illustration. She currently works creating images for stories, articles and posters. Ben Dawlatly completed his masters in Hispanic Studies and Translation Theory at UCL. His technical translations focus on human rights and the environment, but his real calling is for fiction and poetry.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available