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Five Children and It (Puffin Classics - the Essential Collection) (Paperback) (Paperback)
by E. Nesbit
| Category:
Fiction, Ages 9-12, Children's book |
| Market price: ¥ 78.00
MSL price:
¥ 68.00
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| Stock:
Pre-order item, lead time 3-7 weeks upon payment [ COD term does not apply to pre-order items ] |
MSL rating:
 Good for Gifts |
| MSL Pointer Review:
Brimming with fun and fantasy, as well as realistic, believable story-telling, this is an adventure that will keep you guessing what will happen next. |
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Author: E. Nesbit
Publisher: Puffin
Pub. in: December, 1996
ISBN: 0140367357
Pages: 256
Measurements: 7.7 x 5.0 x 0.6 inches
Origin of product: USA
Order code: BC00123
Other information: Reissue edition
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- MSL Picks -
This adventure happens when five children (one still more of a baby) find a Psammead, or sand-fairy. They learn that this creature is capable of granting them wishes, although it asks that they only make wishes once a day. So the wishing begins, but the kids come to find that generally the wishes cause them more trouble than fun. Meanwhile, the Psammead seems perplexed, wondering why they don't wish for practical, solid things, rather than fanciful things, like castles, or high-concepts, like being wanted.
This book is funny, enchanting, and above all highly entertaining. Unlike so many other books written in its era, The Five Children and It does not attempt to preach or teach. Instead, it tells things as they are. The children themselves are alive and refreshing instead of painfully good. This book is not only for the young but the young at heart.
Target readers:
Kids aged up 8
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Edith Nesbit Bland (1858-1924) published most of her work under the signature of E. Nesbit and wrote or collaborated on more than sixty books for children. Her works include The Railway Children, The Story of the Treasure Seekers, and The Wouldbegoods.
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To Cyril, Anthea, Robert, Jane, and their baby brother, the house in the country promises a summer of freedom and play. But when they accidently uncover an accident Psammead-or Sand-fairy-who has the power to make wishes come true, they find themselves having the holiday of a lifetime, sharing one thrilling adventure after another.
Asleep since dinosaurs roamed the earth, the ill-tempered, odd-looking Psammead -with his spider-shaped body, bat's ears, and snail's eyes -grudgingly agrees to grant the children one wish per day. Soon, though the children discover that their wishes have a tendency to turn out quite differnetly than expected. Whatever they wish whether it's to fly like a bird, live in a mighty castle, or have an immense fortune -something goes terribly wrong, hilariously wrong.
Then an accidental wish has horrible consequences, and the children are faced with a difficult choice: to let an innocent man be charged with a crime or to lose for all time their gift of magical wishes. Five Children and It is on of E. Nesbit's most beloved tales of enchantment. This deluxe gift edition, featuring twelve beautiful watercolor paintings by Caldecott medalist Paul O. Zelinsky, is sure to be treasured addition to every family's library.
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| View all 5 comments |
A reader (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-04 00:00>
I started out 2005 not knowing who E. Nesbit was and by year's end, I've read three of her most famous works, including this one. The story follows five children in their adventures with a Psammead, or a rather ugly sand fairy that grants them one wish per day. The children's wishes vary each day and lead to some very interesting consequences for each of them, including the difficulties the children encounter when they wish on whim that their little baby brother would grow up, or the perils they experience when wishing that their summer home would suddenly become a castle under siege. Although the children try day by day to think of more sensible wishes, they soon learn that such a thing is not as easy as one would believe.
When I first heard about this book, I expected that it would be very similar to The Enchanted Castle, which is the first book I had read by Nesbit. However, the author's writing has a way of taking similar situations and making them new again, and I think that of the three books I read this year by Nesbit, this one is my favorite. Five stars for both writing and enjoyment. |
kennedy (MSL quote), wakefield, ma USA
<2007-01-04 00:00>
E. Nesbit's classic story of about some Edwardian children who find a sand fairy one summer is an unsentimental delight. Each day the odd fairy grants them one magic wish, be it beauty, wealth, great size, etc. which will only last until sunset. Somehow each wish they make turns into a disaster, but through their own cleverness and a bit of luck, the children are able to make each problem work out in the end. Nesbit's writing is particularly full of amusing asides and offbeat humor in this one. Her turns of plot are inventive, and as the plucky children face their outlandish predicaments, it becomes clear that Nesbit has her finger on the pulse of the way real children might think. Her work has held up quite well considering it is over a hundred years old. This novel would be suitable for kids in about fourth or fifth grade. |
Godly Gadfly (MSL quote), Canada
<2007-01-04 00:00>
I have to admit that this book has an odd title. The "Five Children" part is easy enough to figure out - that refers to Robert, Anthea, Jane, Cyril, and their adorable young brother who has the pet name "the Lamb". But what on earth is "It"? As it turns out, "It" is a Sand-fairy, or Psammead. And like the title, the Psammead is odd. "It" is small, round and furry with snail-like eyes and bat-like ears. But the Psammead's odd-ness is matched by its extraordinary potential. It has the power to grant one wish a day, lasting until sunset. And so when the five children stumble across this magical Psammead while playing in a gravel-pit, they quickly learn that wishes can come true!
But the children soon discover that having your wishes come true is not always as pleasant as it might seem. Wishes for beauty and wealth result in an unexpectedly bitter after-taste that confirms that these much coveted wishes are not as grand as most people think. Other wishes lead to harrowing adventures, such as being in a besieged castle, and being stalked by Indians. Still other wishes result in rather bizarre scenarios, such as having wings, being the size of a giant, or being grown-up. But in each case the children soon end up yearning for time of day when the wish will come to an end, as one of them remarks: "We're getting into the habit of longing for sunset."
But as a reader of this tale, you'll find yourself quickly wishing for day-break, and for another exciting day to begin with another exciting wish to be fulfilled. This book may have been written about 100 years ago in 1902, but it hasn't lost any of its charm. When Edith Nesbit wrote this book (her first "magic" book) it was an instant success. It is equally beloved today - and with good reason! The magical adventures are full of charm and excitement. Yet they convey important moral lessons, such as the transitory nature of beauty and wealth - "neither had exactly made them happy." Generally speaking each chapter features a new wish and a new adventure that lasts until sunset. It's a great read-a-loud book for young children, guaranteed to enthral and please with its wonderful blend of magic, adventure, and humor. I must warn you that when the book does come to an end, you will be disappointed. But only because it means the end of the children's enthralling magical adventures! To have a book that can have such an effect - now that is a wish come true!
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Alyssa A. Lappen (MSL quote), USA
<2007-01-04 00:00>
This 1902 fantasy, a gift from my parents when I was in fourth or fifth grade, features an irritable Psammead whom Cyril, Anthea, Robert, Jane, and their baby brother dig up in a sand pit. Then the magic begins. The sand-fairy does not like granting wishes, and his misshapen body with bat's ears and snail's eyes bloats when he does. The wishes, lasting only until sunset, all take unexpected, funny turns.
The sand-fairy and other personalities and Victorian details render the magic entirely real-world, believable. This was my favorite children's book and I relived the delight when I found a copy to share with my own children. That this volume is illustrated by one of my favorite people from one of my favorite families triples the delight.
The book is too challenging for independent reading for children fewer than 10, but it's a great read-aloud for small children, as are the classics of Frank Baum, E.B. White and C.S. Lewis.
Edith Nesbit was like J. K. Rowling a single mother in need of a means to support her children. Her books in their era were as popular as Harry Potter in this one. Some of her observations are surprisingly humane. Nesbit's treatment of a clan of Gypsies, for example, transcends the deep prejudice of her time. Not to worry, the book is not preachy or teachy. It's just grand, eloquent fun.
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