I absolutely loved this book!
The interactions between the children were just as good as the first book in this series (the Psammead series: Five Children and It is the first book).
I loved the Phoenix. He had a delightful, wise, interesting and unique personality. This really shines through in the dialogue.
Here’s an excerpt from when they first meet him:
‘Well,’ said the Phoenix, seeming on the whole rather flattered, ‘to cut about seventy long stories short (though I had to listen to them all – but to be sure in the wilderness there is plenty of time), this prince and princess were so fond of each other that they did not want any one else, and the enchanter – don’t be alarmed, I won’t go into his history – had given them a magic carpet (you’ve heard of a magic carpet?), and they had just sat on it and told it to take them right away from everyone – and it had brought them to the wilderness. And as they meant to stay there they had no further use for the carpet, so they gave it to me. That was indeed the chance of a lifetime!’
‘I don’t see what you wanted with a carpet,’ said Jane, ‘when you’ve got those lovely wings.’
‘They are nice wings, aren’t they?’ said the Phoenix, simpering and spreading them out. ‘Well, I got the prince to lay out the carpet, and I laid my egg on it; then I said to the carpet, “Now, my excellent carpet, prove your worth. Take that egg somewhere where it can’t be hatched for two thousand years, and where, when that time’s up, someone will light a fire of sweet wood and aromatic gums, and put the egg in to hatch;” and you see it’s all come out exactly as I said. The words were no sooner out of my beak than egg and carpet disappeared. The royal lovers assisted to arrange my pile, and soothed my last moments. I burnt myself up and knew no more till I awoke on yonder altar.’
Nesbit, Edith. EDITH NESBIT Ultimate Collection: 20 Novels & 200+ Short Stories, Tales for Children & Poems (Illustrated): The Railway Children, The Enchanted Castle, … Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare… . e-artnow. Kindle Edition.
The Phoenix explains in entertaining detail how he came to be in the form of an egg, and reveals to the children that the new carpet in their bedroom is magical. It can take them anywhere they want!
Thus the adventures begin.
The children soon start wishing to go places, and go on many grand adventures.
Nesbit introduces an interesting concept in this story, however. The children learn not only about adventure, but about right and wrong. Robert and Cyril are noted to have an “inward monitor” at times, that tells him to do kind things, and not unkind or selfish things.
Jane, who has a soft heart, takes pity on a burglar and finds out that he isn’t the cruel stereotype that she imagined. In other words, the children have started to learn about how to treat others kindly.
The children learn more about looking out for each other, and have grown wiser about using magic from their experience with the Psammead in the last book (which always had negative outcomes).
In this book, the children also have a wise guide, who sometimes uses his magic to help the children. The Phoenix knows about different kinds of magic, and can communicate with other magical beings, such as the carpet.
When the children use up all their carpet wishes and can’t get home, the Phoenix finds out from the carpet where he can go to help them:
‘But how did you do it?’ they asked, when everyone had thanked the Phoenix again and again.
‘Oh, I just went and got a wish from your friend the Psammead.’
‘But how did you know where to find it?’
‘I found that out from the carpet; these wishing creatures always know all about each other – they’re so clannish; like the Scots, you know – all related.’
Nesbit, Edith. EDITH NESBIT Ultimate Collection: 20 Novels & 200+ Short Stories, Tales for Children & Poems (Illustrated): The Railway Children, The Enchanted Castle, … Beautiful Stories from Shakespeare… . e-artnow. Kindle Edition.
The magic in this story is fun, and mostly just involves transportation. The children have a blast exploring old castles, finding hidden treasure, and taking their cook to a tropical island (where she chooses to stay).
The carpet brings them things, too. When they ask it to bring them something from its homeland, it reappears with 100 mewing Persian cats. It also thought to bring 100 rats for them to snack on, which the children promptly say to take away. Instead, they ask the carpet to bring enough milk for the cats, and it brings a cow.
The fun has to end, however, and the Phoenix and the carpet eventually move on.
There’s humor, adventure, and fun interchanges between the characters. I highly recommend this fun, classic, middle-grade children’s fantasy read!
Below is the first episode of the 1997 BBC version, and the audiobook.
Classic Reads 