Tashi and the wicked magician by Anna Fienberg and Barbara J Fienberg

Ill. by Geoff Kelly and Kim Gamble. Allen & Unwin, 2014. ISBN 9781743315088
(Age: 6+) Highly recommended. Tashi, Friendship, Adventure.
The classic tales of Tashi are continued in this volume of four stories, designed to augment the store of these wonderful stories for those people who have mastered chapter books. Each story is complete in itself, offering a delight to both newcomers to these tales as well as old hands. Each will intrigue as the known format is followed with Jack telling the story of his friend, Tashi, that magical being with a truckload of adventures to relate.
In the title story, the residents are very excited when the magician comes to town, Tashi included. Watching as his Aunt is put into a trance, Tashi feels uneasy about this man's powers and follows him to the home of the Baron, where he is staying. Through the window he sees the magician hypnotise the Baron, getting him to put all his gold and jewels into a box. Tashi reveals the man's trickery but not before he is suspected himself.
Each of the four stories is short, delightfully illustrated and adds to the stories about the amiable Tashi. The last story is divided into two parts, ensuring the newly skilled reader can adapt to a longer story.
The courageous Tashi is a character to savour, and the mix of magic, adventure and fantasy will satisfy all readers that they have read a story which reflects an admirable inner strength.
Fran Knight