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Five Children and It : Virago Modern Classics - E. Nesbit

Five Children and It

By: E. Nesbit, H. R. Millar (Illustrator)

Paperback | 12 September 2017 | Edition Number 1

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Digging in the gravel pit on a hot summer's day, five children discover 'it': a grumpy creature with eyes like a snail's, ears like a bat's, and a tubby body all covered in fur. 'It' is a Psammead, an ancient sand-fairy who has the power to grant the children one wish a day. That, you might think, would be a dream come true! But you need to be very careful what you wish for: whether it's for wings, treasure or beauty, things can - and often will - go wrong.

With all the illustrations by H. R. Millar, newly scanned from the original edition.

Five Children and It is the first book in the Psammead trilogy: next, discover THe Phoenix And The Carpet and The Story Of The Amulet.

About the Author

Edith Nesbit (1858-1924) is perhaps most famous for writing The Railway Children and Five Children and It, but she was extremely prolific and wrote or collaborated on more than sixty children's books. Nesbit is today recognised as one of the most influential and innovative children's writers that ever lived, and is cited as an inspiration by many contemporary authors, including J. K. Rowling, Neil Gaiman, Jacqueline Wilson, Kate Saunders and Frank Cottrell-Boyce. Even C. S. Lewis acknowledged the debt his Narnia series owed to her work - particularly the Bastable and Psammead trilogies.
Industry Reviews
I love her books - particularly the Five Children and It sequence - Neil Gaiman

If Britain is to children's fantasy as Brazil is to football, then Edith Nesbit is our Pele - endlessly surprising and inventive. But she is more than that. There were fantasy writers before Edith Nesbit but she is the one that brought the magical and the mundane together in a moment of nuclear fusion. She opened the door in the magic wardrobe, pointed the way to platform nine and three quarters. She even had a hand in building the Tardis. And these are among her minor achievements. She is also simply the funniest writer we have ever had, while being the one who could most easily and sweetly break your heart with a phrase. Just try saying "Daddy oh my Daddy" without catching your breath. She made the magic worlds feel as near as the Lewisham Road and she bathed the Lewisham Road in magic - Frank Cottrell-Boyce

My all-time favourite classic children's author - Jacqueline Wilson

The cheerful, child-centred anarchy of Five Children and It is still my inspiration and delight - Guardian

My all-time favourite classic children's author - Jacqueline Wilson

I love her books - particularly the Five Children and It sequence - Neil Gaiman

The cheerful, child-centred anarchy of Five Children and It is still my inspiration and delight - Guardian

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