E. Nesbit 
Phoenix and the Carpet 

ONE OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL WRITERS TO HAVE EVER LIVED THIS IS THE SECOND BOOK IN THE PSAMMEAD TRILOGY, FOLLOWING FIVE CHILDREN AND IT’The tone of her stories spoke to me directly . . . I appreciated not being talked down to’ KATE SAUNDERS, GUARDIAN ‘I love her books – particularly the Five Children and It sequence’ NEIL GAIMAN ‘My all-time favourite classic children’s author’ JACQUELINE WILSON ‘For the egg was now red-hot, and inside it something was moving. Next moment there was a soft cracking sound; the egg burst in two, and out of it came a flame-coloured bird . . . ‘When a stone egg rolls out of the old rug that has been bought for the nursery, the children think nothing of it. A lovely glowing yellow, they place it on the mantelpiece to brighten up the room. But when the egg accidentally drops into the fire, a strange thing happens: out hatches a phoenix, resplendent in golden feathers – and very vain. If that weren’t enough of a surprise, it tells them that their carpet is magic: it will take them to any place that they wish to visit – over their dusty London streets to the French coast, to tropical islands and an Indian bazaar. Guiding them throughout their adventures – though he’s often more a hindrance than a help – is their new friend, the phoenix. Contains all of the original illustrations by H. R. Millar, beautifully reproduced. This collection of the best in children’s literature, curated by Virago, will be coveted by children and adults alike. These are timeless tales with beautiful covers, that will be treasured and shared across the generations. Some titles you will already know; some will be new to you, but there are stories for everyone to love, whatever your age. Our list includes Nina Bawden (Carrie’s War, The Peppermint Pig), Rumer Godden (The Dark Horse, An Episode of Sparrows), Joan Aiken (The Serial Garden, The Gift Giving), E. Nesbit (The Psammead Trilogy, The Bastable Trilogy, The Railway Children), Frances Hodgson Burnett (The Little Princess, The Secret Garden) and Susan Coolidge (The What Katy Did Trilogy). Discover Virago Children’s Classics.