I love her books - particularly the Five Children and It sequence
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
The cheerful, child-centred anarchy of Five Children and It is still my inspiration and delight—Kate Saunders, Guardian
My all-time favourite classic children's author
I love E. Nesbit - I think she is great and I identify with the way that she writes. Her children are very real children and she was quite a groundbreaker in her day—J. K. Rowling
She speaks to the reader, and it's almost as if though you could hear her voice—Quentin Blake
The story of three wishes being granted is an old one and often takes the form of a precautionary tale with the resultant moral being “be careful what you wish for!” Such is the fallibility of human nature that we can't easily be trusted to use those wishes wisely.
The great children's author Edith Nesbit (1858 - 1924) took this popular concept for her 1903 book “Five Children and It” and extended the wishes from three to eleven, now granted to five young siblings in Edwardian England.
They have no Geni of the Lamp or Fairy Godmother, but instead, an irascible Sand Fairy dug accidently out of the sand of an abandon quarry. This strange “Psammead”, with his snail's eyes on stalks, furry squat body and aversion to water reluctantly grants the four children their, often ill thought out, wishes.
Nesbit writes with her usual warmth and humour, placing her protagonists into funny and sometimes frightening adventures which gradually make the children “wise beyond their years.”
Head Stories Audio presents "Five Children and It" by E. Nesbit. Narrated by Simon Hester. With original music.
The story of three wishes being granted is an old one and often takes the form of a precautionary tale with the resultant moral being “be careful what you wish for!” Such is the fallibility of human nature that we can't easily be trusted to use those wishes wisely.
The great children's author Edith Nesbit (1858 - 1924) took this popular concept for her 1903 book “Five Children and It” and extended the wishes from three to eleven, now granted to five young siblings in Edwardian England.
They have no Geni of the Lamp or Fairy Godmother, but instead, an irascible Sand Fairy dug accidently out of the sand of an abandon quarry. This strange “Psammead”, with his snail's eyes on stalks, furry squat body and aversion to water reluctantly grants the four children their, often ill thought out, wishes.
Nesbit writes with her usual warmth and humour, placing her protagonists into funny and sometimes frightening adventures which gradually make the children “wise beyond their years.”
Head Stories Audio presents "Five Children and It" by E. Nesbit. Narrated by Simon Hester. With original music.
Editorial Reviews
Product Details
BN ID: | 2940159768919 |
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Publisher: | Head Stories Audio |
Publication date: | 06/22/2023 |
Edition description: | Unabridged |
Age Range: | 5 - 8 Years |
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