14 minSummaryRead it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
Audiobook editionPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What if your new friend were an ancient bird of fire—and someone wanted to claim him for science?
David Bigelow is a curious, polite boy whose world grows wider when he meets the Phoenix. Proud, learned and a little vain, this bird of legend becomes his teacher, guide and friend. In Edward Ormondroyd's gentle fantasy, their travels lead among mythical creatures, each with odd manners, troubles and wisdom of its own.
But not everyone sees the Phoenix as a friend. Professor Fell wants to study the bird and claim it for science, putting David's loyalty to the test. Alongside the quiet humor and strange encounters, the story asks what it means to understand someone unlike yourself—and what courage a friendship can ask of you.
What you’ll discover
- An unlikely pair Follow a curious boy and an ancient bird as their friendship opens a wider world.
- A wonderfully proud guide Meet a learned Phoenix whose vanity brings wit to his role as David's teacher.
- Legends with their own troubles Travel among mythical beings whose peculiar manners make each meeting a fresh pleasure.
- Loyalty put to the test Discover what friendship demands when Professor Fell wants to claim the Phoenix for science.
- Adventure at a gentler pace Enjoy quiet humor and thoughtful moments in a story with a warm heart.
Who will love it
This book is for readers who love talking animals and creatures from myth, funny voices, and friendships between a child and an unlikely companion. It suits anyone who enjoys comic adventure.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A mountain leads David to friendship
- Practical education takes to the air
- David finds courage in a cave
- Loyalty follows David back home
- A nervous friend shares his treasure
- Protective schemes bring unexpected trouble
- Friendship respects what cannot be owned
- Ordinary concerns make magic feel real
- The companions matter beyond their adventures
Who’s who
- DavidA quiet boy who has just moved to a valley and wants to climb the mountain, find adventure and keep his new friend safe.
- The PhoenixA vain, fussy, loving bird nearly five hundred years old who wants peace to think and takes charge of David's education.
- The ScientistA tall, bald, sunburned man with thick glasses who is determined to trap or shoot the Phoenix for the advancement of human learning.
- Aunt AmyDavid's practical aunt, who bakes the cookies, fears landslides and marches him to bed when she thinks he is worn out.
- The Sea MonsterA nervous, whiskered creature with war nerves who knows where pirate treasure lies and prefers to keep it buried.
- The BansheeAn old Irish hag who has swapped wailing for a shop of spells and potions and sells the loudest Wail ever made.
- The FaunA cheeky, hoofed boy with pipes who lives in a hidden valley and wants only to race, dance and play.
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David and the Phoenix in 25 languages, side by side, paragraph by paragraph, once the book texts are online: the way to learn a language with a book you love.
David and the Phoenix
by Edward Ormondroyd · 1957
A boy climbs a mountain and finds a nearly five hundred year old bird studying Spanish verbs beside a thicket.
Easy read2–5 hours to read20 languages
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In short
What would you do if a mountain seemed to whisper to you? David has never seen one.
David and the Phoenix at a glance
- Reading time
- About 2 h1 h 35 min fast, 2 h 25 min slow
- Length
- 28,700 words
- Library level
- Easy short sentences, plain words
- First published
- 1957by Edward Ormondroyd
Reading time at 238 words a minute (fast 300, slow 200). How long the classics take to read · Updated
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A mountain calls and a strange bird answers
David arrives at a new house in a valley and sees a mountain for the first time. He looks up, and the peak seems to smile and call him to climb.
Next day David climbs for two hours and finds a hidden ledge of soft grass and dandelions. There he hears a voice that does not belong to the breeze. He crawls under a thicket and peers out at a huge bird with a swan's neck, a scarlet crest and sapphire wings. It is reading a Spanish grammar and scolding itself for forgetting the verbs.
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Details
- First published
- 1957
- Language
- English
- Reading time
- 2 h 15 min
- Level
- Easy read
Cite this edition
Ormondroyd, Edward. David and the Phoenix. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/david-and-the-phoenix.
Ormondroyd, E. (2026). David and the phoenix. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/david-and-the-phoenix (Original work published 1957)
Ormondroyd, Edward. David and the Phoenix. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/david-and-the-phoenix.
@book{ormondroyd2026david,
author = {Ormondroyd, Edward},
title = {David and the Phoenix},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/david-and-the-phoenix},
note = {First published 1957}
}
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What is David and the Phoenix about?
It is about a boy named David who climbs a mountain near his new home and befriends the Phoenix, a boastful but kind bird nearly five hundred years old. Together they visit mythical creatures and outwit a Scientist who hunts the bird.
Who is the Scientist in David and the Phoenix?
He is a tall, bald man with thick glasses who has been tracking the Phoenix with binoculars, traps and a rifle. He believes catching it will make him famous, and he becomes the friends' main opponent.
What is a Phoenix in the story?
In the book it is a huge, brightly colored bird with a scarlet crest and sapphire wings, a famous creature of legend. This one is vain, fond of cookies and proverbs, and wants quiet to think.
The author
Edward Ormondroyd
1925–2025 · American children's writer
Edward Ormondroyd (1925–2025) was an American writer of children’s books. He was born in Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania, and lived in the United States. His first book, David and the Phoenix, was published in 1957. He also wrote Time at the Top, published in 1963.
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