The Phoenix and the Carpet
core novel 1904 The Psammead Trilogy
Record
| First published | 1904 |
|---|---|
| Original language |  EN |
| Work type | novel |
| Canon status | core |
| Reader rating | 4.03 (9,716 ratings, collected 2026-10-24) |
| First-edition ISBN | 9780140301298 |
| Internal chronology | 2 |
Synopsis
The five children who found a Psammead in Five Children and It discover an enchanted egg wrapped in an old carpet. When the egg hatches in their special aromatic fire, a splendid golden Phoenix is brought to life, and it explains that the carpet is a magic one that will grant them three wishes a day. And so begins a series of fantastic and bizarre adventures as the carpet transports Robert, Anthea, Cyril, Jane and the Lamb, with the Phoenix, to places as diverse as a chilling French castle, a desert island and even the offices of the Phoenix Fire Insurance Company, until the many adventures eventually wear out the magic carpet. The second book of the trilogy, first serialised, like the others, in The Strand Magazine.
Where it sits
- Universe: The Psammead Trilogy
- Series: The Psammead Trilogy core; position 2 of 3 in the series' recorded order
- Author: E. Nesbit
Notes
- First published in 1904 after serialisation in The Strand Magazine; the ISBN recorded is a Puffin edition (pre-ISBN rule).
- From the series record (The Psammead Trilogy): Five children, a sand-fairy, a phoenix, a magic carpet and an amulet.
Neighbouring works
Publication order and internal chronology are tracked as two separate orderings, but they resolve to the exact same sequence for this book, so one combined line is shown instead of two identical ones.
- Reading order, within the series The Psammead Trilogy: position 2 of 3: previous Five Children and It (1902) · next The Story of the Amulet (1906)
Sources
- Library catalogue (series record and description)
- Wikipedia (Five Children and It)
- AbeBooks (Puffin edition record, with the rating platform's figures)
- AbeBooks (Puffin audiobook record and synopsis)
- AbeBooks (Octopus edition record and synopsis)
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