Edward Ormondroyd 2 hr 11 min read

A boy climbing a mountain discovers a talking Phoenix, who takes charge of his education with lessons in Gryffins, Sea Monsters, and narrow escapes.

Edward Ormondroyd's 1957 children's classic is a warm, funny, beloved fantasy about the friendship between a boy and a wise, comical mythical bird. Gentle, enduring, and quietly moving. Read it for one of the best-loved children's fantasies of its era, tender and full of wonder.

In its time

Published in 1957, during the 1950s, post-war optimism meets cold war anxiety.

Reading it

2 hr 11 min read (a novella, a full arc in one sitting or two).

Illustrated by

Joan Raysor