David and the Phoenix facts for kids
1958 edition
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| Author | Edward Ormondroyd |
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| Illustrator | Joan Raysor |
| Cover artist | Raysor |
| Country | United States |
| Genre | Children's fantasy novel, adventure fiction, humor |
| Publisher | Follett Publishing Company |
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Publication date
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October 1, 1957 |
| Media type | Print (hardcover), audiobook (2002) |
| Pages | 173 pp |
| ISBN | 1-930900-00-7 (2000 hardcover ed.) |
| LC Class | PZ8.O7 Dav PZ7.O635 Dav 2000 |
David and the Phoenix is a 1957 children's novel about a young boy's adventures with a phoenix. It was the first book written by American children's author Edward Ormondroyd. This story is all about friendship and discovering a secret world filled with amazing creatures.
Contents
Discovering a Magical Friend
The story begins when a boy named David moves to a new house. It's located right at the base of some beautiful mountains. The very next day, David decides to explore. He climbs to the top of the mountains. There, he meets a Phoenix!
At first, both David and the Phoenix are a bit scared. The Phoenix has been chased by a scientist for weeks. David has never seen a mythical bird before. But the Phoenix is happy that David is interested in him. So, the Phoenix decides to teach David all about the world of legendary creatures.
Adventures in the Mythical World
The Phoenix starts David's magical lessons. Their first adventure is to see the Gryffins. On their way, they meet a witch. She dares the Phoenix to a race. But then, the proud Gryffons capture them. They are angry that the Phoenix brought a human into their magic world. They even sentence the Phoenix to death!
Luckily, David and the Phoenix escape. The Phoenix then keeps his promise to meet the witch. David goes home and finds an unpleasant scientist visiting his parents. This scientist wants to capture the rare Phoenix.
David and the Phoenix make plans to avoid the scientist. First, they find some buried treasure. A grumpy but kind sea monster helps them. They use the gold coins to buy magic items. These items help them stop the scientist's plan.
While buying supplies in the magical world, David has more adventures. He meets a playful Leprechaun. He also meets a grumpy old hag who sells potions. And he sees a faun. The Phoenix has to rescue David. He warns David not to stay too long in the magical world. It can trap humans who are not magical themselves.
Outsmarting the Scientist
The Phoenix and David work together. They break the scientist's equipment. They also scare him so much that he leaves town. Soon after, the old Phoenix celebrates his 500th birthday. He tells David that he must follow an old tradition. He needs to build a pyre (a pile of wood) made of cinnamon logs.
David is very sad but helps his friend. He buys all the things needed from town. The scientist shows up again and follows David up the mountain. The Phoenix is reborn from the flames! But as a baby bird, it doesn't understand the danger. David calls out to the young Phoenix. It dimly remembers its friend and flies away to safety. David watches as one of the old Phoenix's feathers changes from blue to gold.
Main Characters
- David – He is the main character. David is very curious. He loves the mountains and learns a lot about life from his adventures with the Phoenix.
- The Phoenix – This is a mythical bird. He can be a bit proud. The Phoenix is very wise and cares deeply about David.
- Scientist – He is the bad guy in the story. He wants to capture the Phoenix for his experiments.
