Five Children and It

Filled with wit and humor, Nesbit’s 1902 fantasy tells the story of five siblings sent to spend the summer with their uncle and the adventures that follow. 

One day, when the children wander away from the strange house by the sea to play in old gravel pits, they uncover “It”—a prehistoric sand fairy called a Psammead with eyes on long horns which, like those of a snail, moved in and out like telescopes; ears like that of a bat; its tubby body shaped like a spider’s, covered with thick fur; and hands and feet resembling a monkey’s at the base of its furry arms and legs. The unusual creature grants the children one wish per day, each lasting until sunset. The children soon discover that while their wishes come true, they are not always as pleasant as they might seem.

Five Children and It will delight today’s young readers as much as it did over a hundred years ago.