The Phoenix and the Carpet

The Phoenix and the Carpet (1904) is a children’s fantasy novel by English writer Edith Nesbit. The second book in Nesbit’s beloved Psammead Trilogy—which also includes Five Children and It (1902) and The Story of the Amulet (1906)—The Phoenix and the Carpet is a tale of curiosity, adventure, and the power of imagination.


Siblings Robert, Anthea, Cyril, Jane, and the Lamb live in London with their parents. As Guy Fawkes Night approaches, they collect a small stockpile of fireworks and, in their excitement, decide to test them out ahead of time. They set off several fireworks in their nursery, accidentally burning the carpet and forcing their parents to replace it. The new rug, purchased secondhand, contains a strange egg which Robert accidentally knocks into the fireplace, hatching a beautiful golden Phoenix. They soon learn that the Phoenix, which is reborn every two thousand years, is capable of fulfilling their wishes, and that the carpet has the power of flight. As the story unfolds, the children embark on increasingly thrilling and dangerous adventures, sometimes requiring the help of their friend the Psammead to make it back home. The Phoenix and the Carpet is a fast-paced, endearing novel, a true work of fantasy from one of history’s finest fabulists. It has been adapted several times for film and television, and remains a popular work for children and adults alike.

This edition of Edith Nesbit’s The Phoenix and the Carpet is a classic of English children’s literature reimagined for modern readers.

Since our inception in 2020, Mint Editions has kept sustainability and innovation at the forefront of our mission. Each and every Mint Edition title gets a fresh, professionally typeset manuscript and a dazzling new cover, all while maintaining the integrity of the original book.

With thousands of titles in our collection, we aim to spotlight diverse public domain works to help them find modern audiences. Mint Editions celebrates a breadth of literary works, curated from both canonical and overlooked classics from writers around the globe.