Sylvester and the Magic Pebble

When Sylvester finds a beautiful red pebble one day, the rock-collecting donkey is delighted. When that pebble turns out to be a magical stone that grants wishes, he is even more overjoyed, and rushes home to share the largess with his loving parents. Unfortunately, a chance encounter with a lion on his way, and a hastily made wish, see him transformed into an inanimate stone, with little prospect of ever being released from his self-inflicted enchantment. As Sylvester's parents begin their long search for him, he sits quietly in the meadow, unable to move. Will he ever become a donkey again, or be reunited with his parents...?

Apparently this charming picture-book - first published in 1969, and awarded a Caldecott Medal in 1970 - has show more been challenged in at least eleven states! Why you ask? Because its tale of a donkey who accidentally wishes himself into a stone, thereby causing grief to his loving parents, and to himself, is too disturbing for youngsters? No! Because it contains magic in the first place, and that might give impressionable young readers the 'wrong' idea? Again, no! This one was challenged because the police officers in the story - the helpful police officers who comfort Sylvester's parents, and try to help them find their son - are depicted as pigs! Of course, there's also a housewife depicted as a pig, but housewives aren't quite as organized as the police, who began challenging Sylvester and the Magic Pebble in 1977, in Indiana. That sound you hear is me rolling my eyes...

In any case, I'm glad I finally had a chance to read this classic of the picture-book genre, as I think it really is delightful, with an engrossing tale that treats childhood with the respect it deserves - no, children aren't all sweetness and light, and yes, they experience dark realities - and expressive artwork that captures both the humor and terror of Sylvester's predicament. show less

Sylvester, a young donkey, finds a magic red pebble that grants him any wish he desires while holding it. Elated, he takes it home, but runs into a lion on the way back. After making a wish that he were a rock to avoid the lion, he realizes that he can no longer hold the pebble – and so he cannot make a wish to be back to himself. As his parents go frantic waiting for him to return, they gradually accept that their son is not returning. After a year, they go on a picnic and find the magic pebble right where Sylvester the Rock is sitting in a field. Sylvester’s parents make a wish that their son was back, and Sylvester is returned! They keep the pebble in a safe, but do not use it, because being a family again is all they ever show more wanted.

The best children’s books are just a little bit scary, and just a little bit sad. Sylvester and the Magic Pebble showcases this admirably: when Sylvester is turned into a rock and unable to wish himself back, his parents are frantic with worry. Unlike some children’s books, where the plot conflict would be resolved immediately, his parents do not immediately get their son back, but instead, wait a year and mourn Sylvester’s disappearance before he is turned back. For a children’s book, it is just the right amount of scary – what if Sylvester never comes back? – but ends with a happy note. Steig’s themes of family being more important than possessions is an important one that makes this a cherished classic.

The illustrations of the animals are simplistic, but the scenery scenes are gorgeously rendered, particularly when Sylvester, as a rock, sees the passing of the seasons. Readers are treated to a nighttime scene with glittering stars and blue mountains, fall leaves painted in scarlets and oranges and golds, a bare winter scene covered in snow, and a cheerful springtime scene with orange and blue trees and purple flowers in a green meadow.

The illustrations are also not afraid to add some humor, even if it was quite controversial at the time it was published. For instance, the police are portrayed as pigs – a joke which may fly over the heads of younger readers, but which will surely make any adults raise an eyebrow. In another scene, when Sylvester makes the rain stop with his wish, two ducks in the pond behind him look to the sky quite confused at the sudden cessation of rain.

Sylvester and the Magic Pebble may not seem like much at first glance, but there is a reason why it has endured as a childhood classic: its themes of family being more important than anything one could wish for, the brilliantly rendered and humorous illustrations, and just a touch of scariness that things may not be okay in the end, are all deliciously exciting to children, as well as adults. show less

Banned Book Week 2017. This year I'm reading a few picture books that have been challenged for their content, this one apparently because the police are portrayed as pigs. That seems pretty innocuous or at best a gentle, lazy jab in a gentle, lazy story.

I'm torn in deciding if this story is a simple variation on [b:The Monkey's Paw|8779896|The Monkey's Paw|W.W. Jacobs|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1348984485s/8779896.jpg|47306975], a fable about the grief of parents' who have lost a child and hope to one day be reunited in the afterlife, or a Christian allegory with miracles, Roman lions, and a spring resurrection. I mostly settle on too silly to matter and absolutely too silly to take offense.

Sylvester loved to collect unusual pebbles and on one rainy day, he came across a shiny red pebble. When examining the pebble, Sylvester was getting cold from the rain so he wished out loud to himself that the rain would stop and the rain ceased. Sylvester guessed that the magic was in the red pebble so he wished it would rain again, which it did. Sylvester was amazed and so excited to show his family. On his way home, a lion frightened Sylvester and without thinking, Sylvester wished he was a rock and so he became a rock on Strawberry Hill. The lion walked away, but now that Sylvester was a rock and couldn't pick up the pebble, there was no way for Sylvester to turn back into a donkey! His parents began to worry about Sylvester's show more whereabouts and began a search with all of the animals of the town the next morning, in which they found nothing. Sylvester began to lose hope of ever turning into himself again and slept all day long now. Fall came, then winter, and finally spring. Then one day, Sylvester's parents decided to go on a picnic as an attempt of being happy again despite the loss of their son, Sylvester. They went to Strawberry Hill to picnic and they picnicked on the rock that was Sylvester. Mr. Duncan even noticed the magic red pebble beside Sylvester and placed it on Sylvester, but Sylvester didn't notice. Sylvester began to think of how he wished he were himself again, and because the magic pebble was touching Sylvester now, his wish came true! Their family was finally reunited and Mr. Duncan put the magic pebble away in an iron safe if they were to ever need anything to wish for again, but for right now, they had everything they could ever wish for.

This was a really heartwarming and sweet story. I loved how in the end, none of them wished for anything else because "they had all that they wanted." This shows the true value of love and family. I also feel like it gives the message that money can't buy you happiness because they could have wished for anything, but they chose to put the pebble away instead and not wish for a single thing. This is definitely a great read for younger students, especially when trying to teach the importance of family and/or love. show less

A lovely story about a pebble-collector who finds a beautiful magic red pebble but also discovers that some things you already have are better than what you wish for.

I like pebble-collectors. My mother used to collect them from her woods. She'd take a walk and she'd pick up a pretty pebble or unusual small rock and hold it in her hand while she'd think of something she was grateful for. She'd then bring it home and put her "gratitude rock" in a homemade yucca basket I made for her.

When she died, the basket was full.

While I love all of William Steig’s picture books, Sylvester and the Magic Pebble was my favorite as a child and remains my top choice. After finding a magic pebble that grants wishes, Sylvester the young donkey is so frightened by a lion that he accidently wishes himself into a rock to hide. As a rock, Sylvester is no longer able to hold the wishing pebble in his hand to grant further wishes, and thus his family thinks he has disappeared for many months until they serendipitously sit on Sylvester (the rock) while picnicking, spot the magic pebble, and place it on the rock. After a joy filled reunion, the family puts the magic pebble in a safe as they have all they could have wished for in returning to one another.

I am fond of this show more story for many reasons, primarily because of Steig’s whimsical illustrations, which use abundant color and pattern. I also appreciate his use of language in that he chooses unique and perhaps even challenging words children might not be familiar with. Because the magical plot is fairly simple and the animal characters are humanized and engaging, Steig seems to recognize there is no need to dumb down his word choices and he writes for all reading levels alike. For example, the rain “ceases” rather than stopping and Sylvester gets both “perplexed and bewildered”. The language can also be rather visually metaphorical such as when the spring flowers “show their young faces” rather than simply blooming. This book is a wonderful story that young readers become involved in because they want to know how the mystery resolves itself. The underlying message, that the only true thing worth wishing for is one’s loved ones, is also an important message a young reader will enjoy and connect with. show less

Sylvester and the Magic Pebble is a Modern Fantasy tale starring Sylvester, an adorable donkey, who finds a magic red pebble that grants the wishes of anyone lucky enough to hold it. When Sylvester encounters a hungry lion and wishes that he could be a rock so the lion wouldn’t eat him, he is transformed into a rock and is unable to wish himself back into a donkey. In the end, Sylvester’s distraught parents inadvertently save the day, and Sylvester is returned to his former state.

I have fond memories of my grandfather reading this book to me when I was a little girl. The possibility of finding a magic pebble was fascinating to me and prompted many daydreams of what I’d do if such a thing were ever to happen to me.

I would use show more this book as a creative writing tool. After reading the story, I would pass out magic pebbles to all the students and have them write a story about what they would wish for if they possessed a magic stone. This book could also be used as an illustration of how wishing for something you think you want and having it come true can turn out to be an awful thing to endure. show less