“From a small seed a mighty trunk might grow,” This is how the Tariq’s Shell picture book and toy set came about. From a small seed of an idea from Tasha; she created of a set of animal characters with detachable coats who could all swap their coats over and become a different hybrid animal. This set sparked off an idea from her partner, Eddie (Clare Edmondson) wouldn’t it be interesting to write a children’s story about the toys focussing on what makes us, us?
Tariq’s Shell was born.
Well, it didn’t start off as Tariq’s Shell, it has 100’s of other names. What never changed was the team around the book – Eddie at the helm (bossing people around), Tasha’s mum, Nina illustrating the book, Tasha’s cousin Chris editing and proof reading umpteenth times and Eddie’s Mum, Ruth designing the book. Version 11 was the last named file before print…
Not only does Tariq’s Shell and toy set help children to understand and think about their own identify and other’s identity but it represents characters with differences. It also helps children to develop:
- Fine motor skills
- Language and literacy (matching each animal to the story words)
- Learning about themselves
- Literacy skills
Launch date for Tariq’s Shell and toy set is Sunday 19th September at 6.30pm. This is also Tasha’s 40th birthday. To register your interest in attending and the toys fill out this short from: