A young boy discovers a magnificent Phoenix living on the mountain behind his new home, and an ordinary childhood suddenly opens into wonder, danger, and magic. In David and the Phoenix, David befriends the proud, ancient, and rather opinionated bird, who introduces him to a hidden world of mythical creatures, secret adventures, and impossible possibilities. What begins as curiosity becomes friendship, and what begins as play becomes a test of courage and loyalty.
Edward Ormondroyd's classic children's fantasy combines humor, adventure, mythological imagination, and the warmth of a child's first great secret. The Phoenix is grand, vain, wise, ridiculous, and deeply lovable, while David serves as the sensible human companion drawn into a world where griffins, witches, sea monsters, and other legendary beings may be closer than adults would ever believe. The story's charm lies in its balance of enchantment and everyday feeling: a boy, a mountain, a magical friend, and the discovery that the world is larger than it looks.
First published in 1957, David and the Phoenix remains a favorite for readers who enjoy classic children's fantasy, gentle adventure, talking creatures, mythology, and stories of friendship between children and magical beings. It is especially well suited for family reading, classroom libraries, and readers who love the older tradition of imaginative fantasy in which wonder is found just beyond the edge of home.