KidLit Forum

Oana Gorgan

Edith Nesbit tells us the story of a family with five children, who move from London to the countryside of Kent (War-period). Here, the children discover a sand-fairy, who agrees to fulfill them one wish per day. This wishes send them in many adventures, but rarely turn out as expected, the children always arrive where they were and became what they were.
These situations happen also in the real life because we all seek for material or impossible things, we always yearn after something that doesn’t necessary mean happiness, we do all we can to achieve some of our goals and we aren’t able to see and to enjoy the real beauties and treasures of this world (landscapes, animals, nature and so one). I think that the wishes that the characters have and how they turn out should arise something in our mind and hearts.

One of the common elements of the wishes the children have is food. It is strange how such earthly need intervenes in such magic adventures. It is like a way of bringing the children with their feet on the ground, reminding them that they are made of flash and blood even if they can fly. One of my favourite fragments in the book is in chapter 6 when they have to eat from the imaginary tray. It's difficult to make people see two different universes co-existing but at the same time not knowing one about the other.
Another common element is that they always get in trouble, reminding children of the fact that everything has a price.