Toko of Coco Oko
“Toko of Coco Oko is a picture book adventure deftly written and enhanced with full color artwork by Andrew J. Shoup, and presents the story of Toko, a young man on a faraway island, who has trouble finding his place in his island world and fitting into the life of his village. Wondering if greater powers have an unknown plan in store for him, Toko must search inside out in order to find his proper destiny. Toko of Coco Oko is recommended as a philosophically timeless, entertainingly enjoyable, and emotionally moving story.”
— Midwest Book Review
Winner of the WordWeaving Award for Excellence
“On the tiny island of Coco Oko each inhabitant peruses the work they love the most. But one resident, Toko, doesn’t know what he does best. So he goes to the god called The Great Coconut, to ask to be the best fisherman in all the village. But instead of accolades, Toko only gains laughter at his efforts. The same thing happens when he tries to build a boat or gather bananas. All the while, Toko writes about his experiences in his journal.
The journey to discover one’s self, whether young or old, comes alive with Andrew Shoup’s TOKO OF COCO OKO. A remarkable tale in its simplicity, this illustrated book contains a vital lesson perfect for all ages. My youngest audience, age two, thought Toko very silly and asks for the story again and again. My oldest audience, thirty-something, likewise enjoyed the story even as they appreciated the message of finding the one thing that brings joy and doing it well. With terrific illustrations and a wonderful story all audiences will love, TOKO OF COCO OKO earns the WordWeaving Award for Excellence.”
— Cindy Penn
Senior Editor, http://www.wordweaving.com
eBook Specialist, Midwest Book review
“Where do I fit in, wonders Toko in this delightful and thought provoking book, Toko of Coco Oko. It’s a question many children ask. Toko has found the answer! Beautiful illustrations make this book a treasure to behold. One of the most beautiful books we have ever read not only because of the bright and fun illustrations but because of the message it sends as well!”
— Jennifer Reed
Wee Ones
This book is an inspiration!
“When first reading Toko of Coco Oko by Andrew J. Shoup, I felt I needed to share this story with my Pre-school class. Other teachers borrowed it and now we have worked it into our curriculum. It can be read during our community helpers week because Toko finds a “job” that helps him contribute to his people - or - during manners and feelings week because of the way the other Islanders made Toko feel when he had yet another failure.
I then took this book to my art classes for the elementary students to see the beautiful art work on each page that was also created by the author. The children loved the hand drawn, colorfully saturated pages. The pages were an inspiration to create a book of our own in class! It was alot of work, and it took most of the school year, but the children and parents were thrilled with the final product - all due to Toko of Coco Oko. I can’t wait to see what Andrew J. Shoup comes out with next!”
— LaGarie L. Woodward, Pembroke Pines, Florida
“Toko lives on the island of Coco Oko where he strives to find his place in the community. This is an entertaining story for any elementary age child struggling to find his or her strengths. After many visits to the temple of the “Great Coconut”, Toko learns the hard way how to listen to his heart to find that thing that makes him special. The illustrations are vivid and entertaining. Andrew Shoup appears to portray the characters in the pictures as caricatures to emphasize their laughter at Toko’s attempts to be the best at something.”
— Kathy Brummond
BookReview.com
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