Robert, Anthea, Jane, Cyril and the Lamb are on holiday at the White House, a beautiful place on the edge of a hill with a chalk quarry one side and a gravel-pit on the other. Before they have even been there a week, they make an amazing discovery. Digging in the gravel-pit, they find a fairy! The Psammead is brown, furry, fat and shaped like a spider- as well as being very old, and very grumpy. But most importantly, the creature can grant wishes, and the children are soon having the most wonderful adventures...

An abridged reading by Lynda Bellingham of E. Nesbit's classic tale.

Listening Length

1 hour and 5 minutes
Author

E. Nesbit
Narrator

Lynda Bellingham
Audible release date

August 2, 2012
Language

English
Publisher

Audible Studios
ASIN

B008RT25SG
Version

Abridged
Program Type

Audiobook
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Product details

Listening Length	1 hour and 5 minutes
Author	E. Nesbit
Narrator	Lynda Bellingham
Audible.com Release Date	August 02, 2012
Publisher	Audible Studios
Program Type	Audiobook
Version	Abridged
Language	English
ASIN	B008RT25SG
Best Sellers Rank	#190,226 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals) #977 in Fiction Classics for Children #6,474 in Children's Classics

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5

339 global ratings

5 star		63%
4 star		18%
3 star		13%
2 star		3%
1 star		2%

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Top reviews from the United States

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Helen

Great for today's readers too!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 1, 2017

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I read a review for Five Children on the Western Front and although we have not yet read that book, I was intrigued to learn that it was a sequel to this children's classic first published in 1902. I had never heard of this book before so I bought it and read it to my 7-year-old. My daughter never wanted to stop after just one chapter and frankly neither did I. Each of the 11 chapters tells the rich, exciting tale of one of the children's wishes although nothing turns out quite as they expected. We had a great time trying to predict what might go wrong with each wish and how we would have worded the wish for hopefully a more "successful" outcome.

The language is a bit different from what we use today but it never felt cumbersome or boring. In fact, the "old-fashioned" feel really made the story that much more fun. Of course, of all the interesting words and phrases that we read and talked about, my daughter decided to start using the term "stow it" which the 2 brothers impolitely used on each other! Actually, I confess to having used the phrase a few times myself since we finished the book!! This book is definitely still relevant to today's reader and I highly recommend reading it to your child.

Spoiler alert: at the end of the book the Psammead asks Anthea to make a wish for him. He wants her to wish that the children will never be able to tell anyone about him. Anthea agrees and makes the wish. I was stasified with that ending but my daughter correctly pointed out that since the wishes only last 24 hours they could just tell about the Psammead the next day if they wanted. Great point!! Her astute conclusion made the story suddenly feel not quite as neatly wrapped up as I thought so perhaps we will move on to the sequel!

14 people found this helpful

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L. J. Parker

Spend a few hours with your inner child

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on May 4, 2022

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While this book was written for children, this old lady admits that she found it totally charming and absolutely hilarious!

Helpful

A Delightful Fantasy Read for Children

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on April 20, 2013

Verified Purchase

E. Nesbit is one of my favorite childhood authors and I remember school holidays spent comfortably ensconced in a chair reading her books (and those of Enid Blyton's). I thought it was about time I introduced my eight-year-old daughter and avid reader to the delights of Nesbit's works and bought several of Nesbit's books for her.

"Five Children and It" is a classic tale of adventure featuring five children, i.e. Robert, Anthea, Jane, Cyril, and their baby brother. They decide to dig a hole through the Earth to discover if those living on the other side walk upside down. Imagine their shock and delight when they find a sand fairy called a Psammead (pronounced as Sammyadd). The Psammead's nature is to grant wishes, but he warns the children that the wishes granted will come undone at sunset. Naturally, with a bunch of gregarious youngsters, things are bound to go awry when wishes are not planned with precision and careful thinking!

I recommend this delightful fantasy story for curious and imaginative children ages eight and up.

7 people found this helpful

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Kathy Burford

An entertaining old-fashioned classic

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 19, 2015

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Five children are digging in a gravel pit when they unearth the Psammead (Sand-fairy), an ancient furry creature with eyes on stalks. He grants them one wish a day (or more, under protest), which don’t turn out the way they expect them to. The best wish is the first: “I wish we were all as beautiful as the day.” Not only do they not recognize each other at first (being so beautiful), but the nursemaid Martha snatches the baby (who is unchanged: the children decide that he is too young to have wishes naturally and must be specifically mentioned next time) and the cook threatens to call the police. All the wishes end at sunset, at which point they are able to go home. Readers today have to make some allowances for the at times arch and cutesy narrator, but the stories are fun and inventive and well worth a read. The next two books in the series are THE PHOENIX AND THE CARPET and THE STORY OF THE AMULET, featuring the same children.

11 people found this helpful

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Leeanne

A Lovely Book for Imaginative Children

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 12, 2015

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A Lovely Children's Book. I have to admit I was an adult before I ran across this book in a used book store a long time ago. And as far as I know my children never read it because they were into Star Wars by then.

But I read it and thoroughly loved it. So when it came up on Kindle I bought it andread it again.

I would suggest this for children to read at 6 or so and on, and to read it to them even a little earlier.

It is basically a fairy story, as three orphan children find a spirit in the sand who can make a wish come true each day. And every wish goes wrong. Great story.

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Cissa

Fun story, though a bit arch

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 8, 2019

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The narrator is "clever", which is occasionally intrusive...

But that being said, this is a really well-crafted story about getting what you wish for. The kids are funny and realistic, and the Sand-fairy has its own agendas- mostly wanting to be let alone.

As an adult, I found this a very fun read- and I think it would be enjoyable for kids, too- maybe 8 or so, minimum.

Great fun!

Helpful

Bill Baker

Great book for kids of all ages!

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on April 11, 2015

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How would you like a wish? Maybe a wish a day? Wouldn't life be great? What would you wish for? Here are five kids on vacation and the find a - well, a sort of elf - who agrees to grant them one wish a day. What happens? Do they get their wishes and are happy?

This is one cool old time kid's book but lots of fun for kids of all ages - and E Nesbit has a terrific way of writing too!

Helpful

Amazon Customer

A few line justification issues, but otherwise great.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on June 10, 2009

Verified Purchase

I ended up buying this series of books for my K2 after we watched the film "Five Children & IT" recently. I have really enjoyed reading all three of these books. The conversion is pretty good. No missing words or strange characters to speak of. Underscores are used before and after words that were probably italicized in the DTB versions.

Although they are "children's literature" the language and the time period make them interesting for any adult who enjoys fantasy or time-period stories.

***NOTE*** This book in particular had strange margin issues. It was almost as if the conversion was meant for a wider device (??) I tried different font sizes, but it didn't ever go to even close to "full justification" of the lines. After a while though, the book was so engrossing that I no longer noticed it!

3 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Rosemary Standeven

What would you wish for?

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on November 22, 2018

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This was one of my favourite books as a child, and I don’t know how many times I read it – we have two hard-copy books of it at home, ready to lend out to friendly children. This is the first time I have seriously read it as an adult, and on Kindle.
I still love the story, and the way that the children’ wishes never turn out quite the way they had imagined. Throughout, though, you need to remind yourself, that the book was written at the beginning of the 20th century – before WWI – and that attitudes, and acceptable behaviour, were quite different then. The boys are very aggressive and martial. It was considered quite OK for them to attack the Baker’s Boy and knock his loaves to the ground – just a bit of banter (!). The servants – and the Psammead - are there to do the children’s bidding, and little thought is given to their needs or feelings. Some cultural appropriation and racism in the episode with the Red Indians. But these anachronistic flaws aside – it is still a wonderful read.
The writing is excellent, and I particularly like the asides to the reader from the author. You can envisage an adult reading the book directly to you.
Don’t ignore the nowadays inappropriate attitudes, but see them in the historical context that they were written, and you have one of the most magical, thought provoking children’s fantasy books around.
What would you wish for?

8 people found this helpful

Good quality audio CD, nice narration, still prefer the books.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on October 23, 2012

Vine Customer Review of Free Product( What's this? )Verified Purchase

My review is for the audio CD version of Five Children and IT and not the book/Kindle version.

Linda Bellingham makes an excellent job of narrating E. Nesbit's classic children's story and she needs to; this is a long recording. Holding an adult's attention is difficult enough for approx. 3 hours worth of storytelling, keeping young children hooked is much harder. Linda's warm, funny and entertaining just like "IT" and her voices are distinct enough you don't get mixed up about the different characters. Good quality product, apart from the illustration to the front cover which is dreadful, and I had no audio/playing difficulties. If I'm being honest I do actually prefer to read the books. An audio CD, no matter how good, could never capture that poignant childhood magic.

5 people found this helpful

sandra turner

Unusual

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on May 1, 2017

Verified Purchase

A completely different book to what I Norma!ly read. Was very cleverley written and each time a wish was granted by the children it was completely the opposite of what they wanted. They never really thought through before they asked for it.

4 people found this helpful

E. Heckingbottom

Whilst beautifully read, it's a shame it's so abridged!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on November 11, 2012

Vine Customer Review of Free Product( What's this? )Verified Purchase

I very much enjoyed listening to this in the car; but was very disappointed to find it was over so quickly! having read teh book several times; having seen the film version; having quite enjoyed the recent Jacquelyn Wilson version Four Children and It ; I was a littel disappointed to find this one so much abridged! Nevertheless, it is a good introduction to the book

Vic

Amazing quality and design

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on August 10, 2020

Verified Purchase

One of my childhood favourite books and films! So happy to find it published by my favourite publishing house. Design is simplistic yet gorgeous. Came exactly as described and although it was second hand I wouldn’t have been able to tell!

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