Product Description

The Phoenix and the Carpet is E. Nesbit's second fantasy novel and is the sequel to Five Children and It. From Robert, Anthea, Jane and Cyril's new nursery carpet there falls a mysterious egg which is hatched in the fire to reveal a benevolent, resourceful and ingenious Phoenix who explains that the carpet is possessed of magic qualities. And so begins a series of fantastic and bizarre adventures as the carpet transports the children and the Phoenix to places as diverse as a chilling French castle, a desert island and even the Phoenix Fire Insurance Company's offices, which the Phoenix believes to be a shrine for his followers.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #11383 in Books
• Published on: 1995-03-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 224 pages

Customer Reviews

Somewhat overlooked - this is a magical classic.
I agree with the 5-star review - this is suitable for modern children.
It's restrictive, and unnecessary to assume that children only want to read contemporary stories. Children's imaginations are timeless, and classics that endure like Alice In Wonderland, Narnia Tales, and this book, do so because they capture and encourage imagination. Indeed, the current trend for Harry Potter surely shows that a book doesn't need to be contemporary to appeal to young readers. In fact, I'd say the opposite is often true.
I discovered Phoenix and the Magic Carpet when I was about 8 - I can remember seeing the wonderfully stagey BBC adaptation, and nagging my Mum for the book. It's a fantastical tale - of flying carpets, magic lands, and mythical creatures. Back then, I was also hugely taken with the Edwardian setting of grand houses and nurseries. It added to the sense of mystery and other-worldliness.
I still have my old copy - a little dog-eared but much-loved - and I'm really looking forward to sharing it with my niece as she discovers books. I'm sure she'll love it as much as I did.

MAGICAL!!!
This book is a Puffin Classic. The children in this book are the same ones in `the Five Children and It' & `The Amulet'. Their names are Robert, Anthea, Jane, Cyril and baby Hilary, or as called in `the Five Children and It' - Lamb. If you don't know the story or have forgotten it, then I will jog your memory: It is about a second hand carpet that was bought for the nursery which had magical powers; it could transport them to wherever they wanted to go; also, a strange egg dropped out of it and it was the egg of a phoenix...
I thought that this book was ok. It was a bit boring at parts but some of the bits were more thrilling than going to the circus or even to Alton Towers! I would rate the book, overall, 8/ 10 and would recommend it to all!

Highly recommended
This is a fabulous tale, excellently written. I take issue with the last reviewer on two points: it is set in Edwardian not Victorian England; and it is very suitable for modern children: how boring for children if they have to read grim 'realist' books all the time! Bob, Cyril, Anthea and Jane are endearing characters who have great fun with a magic carpet they find, taking cook to a desert island where she becomes queen, visiting far-off lands, getting marooned in an oriental tower and so on, all under the watchful eye of a wise and ancient phoenix. I read this book several times as a child and would recommend it highly, as well as its sequels, 'Story of the Amulet' and 'Five Children and It'.