TALKING flowers and lost stars people the world of Toto the Spaceman, the creation of local author Pat Dunning.

Six of Toto's adventures have appeared in print for the first time, although Pat, of Hesketh Lane, Chipping, invented the gentle, forgetful spaceman more than 40 years ago.

A former infant school teacher, Pat told the Toto stories to her pupils at Ribbeck County Primary School, Preston, for years until she retired in 1992 and decided to have them printed.

"I wrote a story at school for the little ones and they kept saying 'Can we have another one about Toto'," said Pat.

"I've got exercise books full of stories so maybe there will be a sequel."

Toto lives on a cloud with his friends Tish the cat and Aerial, who sits on his helmet.

He visits planets in his carefully-dusted rocket and meets a friendly dragon and many other characters.

Available from bookshops including Waterstones and WH Smith, "Toto the Spaceman" is suitable for parents to read to five and six year olds and for older children to read for themselves.

Pat, 61, also writes a monthly story for the Chipping parish magazine and is working on a book of 30 moral guidance stories for infants commissioned by Kevin Mayhew Religious Books.

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