A charming thing takes me back to a small child (5)
I believe the answer is:
totem
'a charming thing' is the definition.
The answer and definition can be both man-made objects as well as being singular nouns.
Perhaps there's a link between them I don't understand?
'me back to a small child' is the wordplay.
'back' says the letters should be written backwards.
'to a' means one lot of letters go next to another (I've seen this in other clues).
'small child' becomes 'tot' (tot can mean a baby or toddler).
'me' reversed gives 'em'.
'em' put after 'tot' is 'TOTEM'.
'takes' acts as a link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for totem that I've seen before include "Clan's emblem" , "Object adopted by N American Indians as emblem" , "Symbolic object with ritualistic associations" , "This pole is carved and painted by N American Indians" , "Object of veneration" .)