Five Children and It (The Psammead Series,Virago Modern Classics)

Playing in the gravel pit on a hot summer's day, five children dig up a grumpy, furry creature, with eyes like a snail and ears like a bat. It's a psammead - an ancient sand-fairy with the power to grant the children one wish a day. That, you might think, would be a dream come true! But you need to be very careful what you wish for: whether it's for treasure, beauty or wings, you can get yourself into all sorts of trouble . . .