Five Children and It

NESBIT, E[dith]. Five Children and It. London: T. Fisher Unwin [1923]. 8vo, xvi 302pp + 16 advts. Red cloth stamped in gilt and pictorially in blind: t.e.g. 8 b&w plates by H.R. Millar. Spine ends a bit rubbed, spine sunned, lower front corner a tad worn, light foxing to edges of sheets, first and last few sheets with some foxing, else a clean, tight copy.

6^th printing. The first novel in Nesbit’s beloved Psammead trilogy. When Cyril, Anthea, Robert, Jane and their baby brother “the Lamb” move from London to the countryside of Kent, they encounter a grumpy, ugly and unpredictable sand-fairy called the Psammead. After some negotiations, the Psammead agrees to grant one wish per day – but the results of their wishes somehow never come out quite the way the children expect! Nesbit’s first fantasy novel for children and her second major success.