Toledo’s work is embedded with themes from the myths of his indigenous Zapotec culture. Often reflecting his great appreciation for unusual animals and nature, Toledo’s work bridges myths of creation and re-creation. Francisco Toledo was an untiring cultural promoter, social activist, and philanthropist, and created, in 2004, a series of handmade books as a charity project for a local library. The handmade paper covers depict odd creatures of his native Oaxaca, often fused and mirrored, such as birds, crocodiles, bats, fish, and crabs.