Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig



1.     Bibliography

Reich, Susanna, and Raúl Colón. José!: born to dance: the story of José Limón. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2005.

ISBN: 978-1442435605

2.     Plot Summary

This imaginative magical storybook tells the story of the young donkey Sylvester and a magical shiny red pebble he finds. This pebble has magical powers to make his greatest desires come true! All he has to do is make a wish while holding the magic red stone and his wish will come true. Sylvester gets himself into a predicament when he accidentally turns himself into a rock. Sylvester's parents are heartbroken when they can't find their beloved Sylvester! How will they ever be able to find their son?

3.     Critical Analysis

This sweet little story of Sylvester brings to mind the adage "you can't always get what you want". Finding a magic pebble and having your wishes come true isn't always what one imagines it will be. The reader feels the desperation of Sylvester when he finds himself in the predicament, also the sadness and hopelessness of Sylvester's parents as they can't find their son. This short little story shares a wonderful message of family, wishes and hopes, and what is most important to us in the end. 

This story was illustrated by the author, William Steig. Although at first glance, the images of the story appear simplistic, but upon further inspection, the reader observes that they are beautiful and meaningful. The cartoon-like appearance of the images does a wonderful job of portraying the innocence of Sylvester and the expression of sadness from his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Duncan. The paintings are colorful, although slightly muted and pearl-like. The tone of the story is perfectly conveyed by Steig, along with the passing of seasons and time. Surely the reader will grieve along with the parents as they see tears streaming down the mother's face and the father's downtrodden expression. Also, the reader can not help but rejoice when the family has reunited once again. 


4.     Review Excerpts

Winner of the Caldecott Medal 1970

From Kirkus Review: "Sylvester's "only chance of becoming himself again was for someone to find the red pebble and to wish that the rock next to it would be a donkey"--surely the prize predicament of the year and, in William Steig's pearly colors, one of the prettiest."

From The Horn Book: "A remarkable atmosphere of childlike innocence pervades the book; beautiful pictures in full, natural color show daily and seasonal changes in the lush countryside and greatly extend the kindly humor and the warm, unself-conscious tenderness."

From Common Sense Media: "Steig addresses one of childhood's biggest latent fears, abandonment, but his gentle, unerring handling of this issue makes for an endearing story full of pathos and strength."

5.     Connections

Other stories about animals

The Story of Ferdinand
By Munro Leaf and Robert Lawson
ISBN-13: 978-0448456942

Corduroy
By Don Freeman
ISBN-13: 978-0140501735

Also by William Steig 

The Amazing Bone
By William Steig
ISBN-13: 978-0312564216

This book would be great for little ones to address abandonment. 

Also, this book would be wonderful to teach about choices and consequences.  

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