But people’s captivation with the project has forced the total to grow abnormally to $28,000 in just five days.
"It’s a mind-blowing response.
"It’s great because it’s confirmation that other people like the book as much as I do."
The award-winning Dunedin-based illustrator said many books had been published with his illustrations in them, but this would be the first one he has written and illustrated.
The book, Samples from the Lab, chronicles the awkward and amusing experiments of Professor Fictitious Karacter.
It is a completely inaccurate, scientific journal featuring a number of curious and cute genetically modified creatures.
"The story follows his misguided attempts to meddle with nature and the eventual, disastrous results.
"It is a whimsical scientific journal with daily entries describing Fictitious's experiments, along with illustrated drawings and sketches of the unexpected results."
From his experiments come creatures like Crabapples (a cross between a crab and an apple), Carrats (a cross between a rat and a carrot), a Cowberry (a cross between a cow and a strawberry) and a Mangorilla (a cross between a mango and a gorilla) among others.
"The scientific logic is non-existent and the outcomes are unlikely to be reproduced except as puns and visual humour.
"The story, however, still has some relevance as a strange virus starts to spread.
"The diary entries become a little more panicked as things begin to spiral out of control.
"Fictitious eventually meets an unlikely end, but the curious creatures go on to escape the lab and inspire a book."
He said the book would be just as popular with adults as it would be with children.
"Both will instantly get the humour in it."
Because so much money had been donated, Mr Foote was now able to consider giving the 60-page book a hard cover, to make it look more like a scientist’s actually diary.
"If we can get 1000 copies pre-sold, we can change the printing process and make it look like an old journal."
Copies of the book could be ordered on the KickStarter website, he said.
