Alphabetical Tashi by Anna Fienberg and Barbara Fienberg

Tashi. Illus. by Kim Gamble, Arielle Gamble and Greer Gamble. Allen & Unwin, 2020. ISBN: 9781760525293. 80pp.
(Age 3+) Highly recommended. An excellent book to introduce Tashi to newly independent readers and for younger children to learn the alphabet, Alphabetical Tashi will delight a new generation of readers. Tashi is a strange little boy who has wonderful adventures and tells exciting tales and in this book he guides children through his wonderful world:
In a land far away, you'll find . . .
A boy called Tashi, brave and bold,
Baba Yaga the witch, cunning and cold,
Chintu the giant, bigger than most,
Dragon of fire, who'll turn you to toast!
This is a beautifully produced book showcasing through brilliant illustrations the amazing characters and objects that will be found in the Tashi series. These have been restored by Kim Gamble's daughters and are so memorable. The rhyming text and repeating refrain of
In a land far away, you'll meet . . . makes this an exceptional book to read aloud and I can see it being used in a classroom to give children the flavour of the Tashi books - and it is sure to grab their imaginations. Add to the fact that Tashi is now a television show and it is sure to be a winner. With younger children, an adult may need to reassure children that Tashi can always overcome the ferocious characters and emphasise the humour in many of the pictures, for example the K in Kidnapping Bandits on a hairy horse, or the pathos in Ogre whose love fills his eyes with tears, rather than the some of the scary pictures.
The final double page spread has a smiling Tashi flying on a spotted dragon and the reader is reminded that there is nothing better
than someone who's kind
whose heart is big along with his mind."
It is easy to see why the Tashi books, first published in 1995, are such a hit with children. Alphabetical Tashi is a keeper and one that will handed on to the next generation of children.
Pat Pledger