Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig
Steig, W. (2012). Sylvester and the magic pebble. Little Simon. (W. Steig, Illustrator) ISBN 9781442435605
Sylvester and the Magic Pebble follow Sylvester the Donkey, who loves to collect rocks. One day, Sylvester finds a magical red pebble that grants his wishes, and he is excited to bring it home to share with his family, that is, until he comes across a lion, and one of Sylvester's wishes backfires! Read along to see if Sylvester can undo his wish for everything to return to normal.
This was my first time reading Sylvester and the Magic Pebble, and my initial reaction was that I think I currently am or would have been the target group for this title. For context, I am not a fan of anything horror, and why is that important? Because I found the idea of being stuck as a giant boulder indefinitely horrifying! After reading the book, I described the plot to my mom, who laughed at the description rather than being horrified like I was. That reaction alone showed me that while I might not have been the ideal target group, there will be and have been others who did enjoy the title!
Besides the initial horror aspect that I saw, one thing I liked was that Sylvester's parents never fully gave up hope of finding Sylvester, and that was one of the aspects that brought him home. William Steig also answered questions I had as a reader throughout the storyline, such as why didn't Sylvester just wish the lion away ("He was frightened. If he hadn't been so frightened, he could have made the lion disappear, or he could have wished himself safe at home with his father and mother" (Steig, p. 8, 2012).) That was a nice feature; as a more logical reader, I would have definitely questioned why he did not wish the lion away.
I believe this title would do well with older readers above 5 years old because the story is more complex and much longer than other picture books. Additionally, the story being read by older readers would allow the reader to benefit from the underlying theme of the book, which was to be happy with what you have, and there is no need to wish for things you do not need! At the end of the story, Sylvester is reunited with his family, and I found it to be a sweet touch that a picnic that the parents had was what brought Sylvester back, and Sylvester did not think he needed anything else other than his family (as shown by him locking up the magic pebble for the rest of time).
The art style in the book is more complex than other children's books I have read, with more color, more detail, and more characters being added. There was a lot of attention to detail in the book, like a picture of Sylvester and his family in their home, the dogs searching far and nearby (shown by the dogs being smaller and larger in size to indicate their distance) when searching for him, and the red pebble standing out against all the other bright colors used in the book. Overall, the illustrations were very pretty and fitting with the story. Steig does a wonderful job of creating the perfect images to bring his story to life!
To make the title more interactive, an adult could have the reader/children paint their magic pebbles before reading it. Additionally, a good place to pause while reading would be after Sylvester turns into a boulder and ask the child(ren) how they think Sylvester is going to turn back into a donkey and have them discuss how they would feel if they were in Sylvester's situation. Once Sylvester is reunited with his family, the child(ren) could also be asked if they would use the magic pebble afterward! Other titles that have a similar message are A Pocket for Corduroy by Don Freeman, which is about a bear named Cordury who learns an important lesson about being happy with what he has, and the importance of having a voice for yourself.
What Readers Have to Say:
The Horn Book Magazine said that Sylvester and the Magic Pebble is a story with "a remarkable atmosphere of childlike innocence [that] pervades the books; beautiful pictures in full, natural color show daily and seasonal changes in the lush countryside and greatly extend the kindly humor and the warm, self-conscious tenderness" (Horn Book Magazine, 1969).
Awards
- Caldecott Medal
Book, H. (1969). Horn book reviews of Caldecott Medal Winners, 1970-1979. The Horn Book. https://www.hbook.com/story/horn-book-reviews-of-caldecott-medal-winners-1970-1979
Sylvester and the magic pebble. Sylvester and the Magic Pebble | Awards & Grants. (n.d.). https://www.ala.org/awardsgrants/content/sylvester-and-magic-pebble
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