Module Three: Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig

Bibliography

Steig, W. (1969). Sylvester and the magic pebble. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers.

Summary

Sylvester is a donkey with a penchant for unusual pebbles, so when he ventures out one rainy Saturday, he is excited to find a flaming red, shiny, and perfectly round pebble on the ground. Picking it up, he begins to shiver from the rain and says to himself, "I wish it would stop raining." Astonishingly, the rain instantly stops, and Sylvester realizes he has found a magic pebble to grant him, and his family and friends anything they desire. Soon, however, the donkey comes across a ferocious lion. Frightened, Sylvester instantly wishes he were a rock, and, alas, he becomes one. Although this manages to deter the hungry lion, Sylvester is unable to change himself back again with the magic pebble just out of his reach. Days, weeks, and months pass by, and Sylvester's parents search everywhere for their beloved son. Eventually, Sylvester and his parents discover that they already have everything they need: each other.

 

My Impressions

Sylvester and the Magic Pebble was one of my favorite books as a child, and it remains so today. I love it in equal part for its text and illustrations because, together, they convey the full range of emotions of Sylvester and his parents. The author's use of language -- "frantic with worry" (p. 10), "walked aimlessly about" (p. 26) and "the embraces, the kisses, the questions, the answers, the loving looks, and the fond exclamations!"(p. 29) -- accurately portrays the highs and lows of the story. Steig manages to inject some humor into the story as well. When the lion, bewildered at the donkey's sudden disappearance, sniffs the rock over and over, he mutters to himself, "Maybe I'm going crazy" (p. 7). In addition, the illustrations convincingly portray Sylvester's parents' anguish over their missing son as they sit staring out the window, plaintively searching, while a tear falls from his mother's eye (p. 10). The story itself has such a simple, yet moving, message: Sometimes, we have what we've been looking for all along. Just as Sylvester discovers this, so will the reader through Steig's work.

 

Review

 Amazon
"Imagine all the happiness and wealth you could achieve if you found a magic pebble that granted your every wish! Sylvester Duncan, an unassuming donkey who collects pebbles "of unusual shape and color," experiences just such a lucky find. But before he can make all his wishes come true, the young donkey unexpectedly encounters a mean-looking lion. Startled, Sylvester wishes he were a rock, but in mineral form he can no longer hold the pebble, and thus cannot wish himself back to his equine trappings. His parents, thinking he has disappeared, are at first frantic, then miserable, and then plunge into donkey ennui. Meanwhile, Sylvester is gravely depressed, but tries to get used to being a rock.

In 1970, William Steig won the Caldecott Medal for Sylvester and the Magic Pebble--the first of his many Newbery and Caldecott honors. In this donkey's tale, Steig imbues his characteristically simple illustrations of animals sporting human garb with evocative, irresistible, and heartbreakingly vivid emotions. The text is straightforward and the dialogue remarkably touching. Children will feel deeply for Sylvester and his parents, all wishing for the impossible--that the family will one day be reunited. Sylvester's sweet story is one that endures, reminding us all that sometimes what we have is all we really need."

 

Use in Library

This could be used, in conjunction with other books with a similar theme, in a storytime program for preschool children about what defines a family. Librarians could ask children about their own families -- where they were born, who comprises their family, what kinds of family traditions they have, etc. Librarians could also discuss the difference between animal and human families. Included would be a craft in which children are asked to draw their own families.

Sylvester and the Magic Pebble. (n.d.). [Review of the book Sylvester and the Magic Pebble]. Amazon. Retrieved from http://www.amazon.com/Sylvester-Magic-Pebble-William-Steig/dp/product-description/067166154X/ref=dp_proddesc_0?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books

Image from http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/457762.Sylvester_and_the_Magic_Pebble