Module 3- Sylvester and the Magic Pebble

A.Sylvester is a donkey that finds a magic red pebble and uses it to make wishes. He very quickly runs into trouble when he wishes himself into a rock. He isn’t seen or heard of for almost a year and his parents are devastated. One day they decide to go on a picnic and end up on top of Sylvester’s rock. The red pebble is discovered and Sylvester soon wishes himself back into existence and is reunited with his parents. B.Steig, W. (1969). Sylvester and the magic pebble. New York: Aladdin Publishing. C.I can see why this book is deserving of a Caldecott! The pictures are fantastic. The donkeys in the story are given human characteristics and walk around on all fours, and yet the perfectly resemble regular animals. I didn’t enjoy the story, though the moral is worth children being exposed to. The story made me very sad and uncomfortable with the idea of a child being separated from their parents for an extended period of time. Sylvester vanishes into thin air and his poor parents have no idea what happened to him- a fact that many parents with missing children are devastated by each and every day. I was reminded of so many children who disappear and their parents have no hope of return just like Sylvester’s. D.Sylvester is a donkey with the odd hobby, for a donkey anyway, of "collecting pebbles of unusual shape and color." This pastime gets him in trouble one day when he finds a magic red pebble that grants wishes: 'What a lucky day this is!' thought Sylvester. 'From now on I can have anything I want.' Sadly, a lion comes along and Sylvester unthinkingly says: "I wish I were a rock." His wish is granted, but he is no longer able to grasp the pebble and so cannot wish himself back to donkey hood. His parents search desperately for him, until one day they actually picnic upon the boulder he has become. Happily, they pick up the pebble and order is restored. And, despite the awesome power of the pebble they lock it away in a safe: Some day they might want to use it, but really, for now, what more could they wish for? They had all that they wanted. The story is that simple and the drawings too are pretty basic, though charming. The real beauty of the tale lies in the timeless message that it is not "things" that will make us happy, but the comforts of family and home. In his Caldecott Award acceptance speech, William Steig revealed his debt to an earlier classic: It is very likely that Sylvester became a rock and then again a live donkey because I had once been so deeply impressed with Pinocchio's longing to have his spirit encased in flesh instead of in wood. It is altogether fitting that Steig's story has become a classic in its own right. 2002, January 12). Caldecott Award Winners (1970) [Review of the book Sylvester and the Magic Pebble]. The Brother Judd. Retrieved from http://brothersjudd.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/reviews.detail/book_id/45. E.I’m afraid that the reading level of this picture book really limits its appeal to kids in the library. My third graders and fourth graders last year were dying to read chapter books and chapter books only. A younger child might be interested in it for the illustrations but prevented from checking it out due to the fourth grade reading level.