Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig
"Ooh a magic pebble?" Children will get hooked on this book by simply reading the title! Let's shine the spotlight on this classic Caldecott award winning book:
Summary
Sylvester Duncan is a donkey who collects pebbles. One rainy day, Sylvester finds a magic red pebble and discovers anything he wishes will be granted. On his way home with the magic pebble, Sylvester gets scared by a lion on Strawberry Hill and wishes to become a rock. As he turns into a rock, his magic pebble lands on the ground next to him. He soon finds out he can’t be turned back into himself because he is no longer touching the magic pebble. Fall and winter come and go with his parents worrying and searching. In the spring, his parents set out for a picnic and come upon a rock, which really was Sylvester. As they have their picnic on the rock, they find the red pebble and put it on top of the rock. This allows Sylvester to make his wish and change back into a donkey.
Discussion
Children will enjoy reading this book because of the unique story elements: a magic pebble and wishes being granted. They will also be able to connect to the relationship between Sylvester and his parents.
Sylvester and the Magic Pebble is a wonderful story layered with emotions. One choice in a moment of quick thinking sets this book into motion. Sylvester’s quick thinking led him to make a wish that left him unable to make any more wishes. His emotions shift from surprise and excitement at his discovery of the magic pebble to feeling worried, scared and helpless as he sits alone as a rock. His parents’ emotions swing between hope and optimism to fear and even misery. The story arc of the book sets up the problem within the first six to seven pages, maintains the conflict for a large portion of the book (20 pages) with the resolution coming within the final three pages.
Steig’s watercolor illustrations include detailed expressions on the faces of the characters. The character’s faces clearly convey the emotional shifts throughout the story. The illustrations feature dark outlines filled in with various colors. The indoor and outdoor settings, changing seasons and shifts from day to night are displayed masterfully in each illustration. The illustration boundaries range from one to two pages. The two page illustrations show full scenes of Strawberry Hill. The scenes take place at night, during a dog search and through the changing seasons.
A few pages feature two smaller illustrations on one page with text around them. The text length on each page varies throughout the book. Some of the pages carry a few paragraphs of text or simply a few lines of text. The text rarely crosses from one page to the next.
The language used in the book includes interesting vocabulary. Phrases like “flaming red” and “remarkable looking” describe the magic pebble. Words like “perplexed” and “bewildered” describe the lion’s feelings when Sylvester disappeared before his eyes. Steig shows his clever thinking with Sylvester’s address: Acorn Road in Oatsdale.
Overall, the strengths of this book are the detailed illustrations and the emotions conveyed through the illustrations and language.
Awards/Reviews
Sylvester and the Magic Pebble received the Caldecott Medal in 1970. It was also selected as one of the 100 Best Books of the Century by the National Education Association. The American Library Association also honored this book as a Notable Children’s Book.
The New York Times Book Review wrote of Mr. Steig that ''everything he does is magic.''
"Illustrated with William Steig's glowing pictures, this winner of the 1970 Caldecott Medal is a modern classic beloved by children everywhere. Sylvester and the Magic Pebble truly recaptures that magic for a whole new generation of readers." - Amazon.com
Teacher’s Tools
When reading this story aloud, students could be asked what Sylvester could wish for. They could turn and talk with partner to share their thinking. They could also stop to write about their thinking and draw a picture to share.
Students could be invited to share what they would wish for if they found a magic pebble. The teacher could pass out red paper shaped like a pebble for them to write their wish. Or students could cut out their own red pebbles.
Since emotions play such a strong role in the text, students could use Post-its to write down what characters might be thinking or say out loud at different points of the book based on their emotions. The following scenes could be used for this activity: Sylvester’s mother and father are talking to the neighbors, children or the police or the celebration at the end of the book when Sylvester turns back into a donkey.
Bibliographic Information
Steig, William. (1969). Sylvester and the Magic Pebble. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN-13: 978-1-4169-0206-5.
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