Module 3: Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig (SLIS 5420 review)

Summary: Sylvester is a young donkey who loves to collect rocks. One day he finds a bright red pebble and discovers that it can grant wishes. He makes several wishes to test out the rock’s power, then starts home to share his amazing discovery with his family. On the way home he crosses paths with a lion, and in his panic he wishes to become a rock so he can avoid the lion. Without the magic pebble, Sylvester can’t turn himself back. Sylvester is afraid that he will have to stay a rock forever, but a happy coincidence turns him back into a donkey and reunites him with his loving family.

Citation: Steig, W. (1969). Sylvester and the magic pebble. New York: Simon & Schuster.

Impression: I can see why Steig’s Caldecott-winning book has stood the test of time.
The premise of the book is interesting and doesn’t become dated easily. The idea of an ordinary object having such extraordinary powers will always be fascinating to children and adults alike. Even though Sylvester and the Magic Pebble was originally published in 1969, Steig’s illustrations don’t feel old fashioned. He used many bright colors, especially in the characters’ clothes and home furnishings. His drawings are simple enough that children could try to replicate them, but detailed enough to provide lots of visual interest.

I also think the book still resonates because young readers can connect with the different emotions Sylvester experiences. Seig’s words and illustrations work together perfectly to convey emotions, like Sylvester’s excitement at finding a treasure like the magic pebble, his fright at running into the lion, the despair of his parents when he goes missing, and their joy at being reunited. One of best examples of this is a panel where Sylvester’s mother sits in a rocking chair, a tear coming down her check. Part of the text on the page reads “Mr. and Mrs. Duncan no longer knew what to do,” and there is a vase with wilted flowers in the background. Steig was great at including those little details in the illustrations to help readers get the whole story.

Review:
Kirkus:
Sylvester's "only chance of becoming himself again was for someone to find the red pebble and to wish that the rock next to it would be a donkey"--surely the prize predicament of the year and, in William Steig's pearly colors, one of the prettiest. How Mother and Father Duncan (donkey), despairing of finding their son, do eventually break the red pebble's spell and bring back Sylvester is a fable of happy families of all breeds.

(1969, March 1). [Review of the book Sylvester and the Magic Pebble, by W. Steig]. Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved from http://www.kirkusreviews.com/

Uses in a library: Sylvester and the Magic Pebble could be used in a storytime about magic. Afterwards, the children could decorate their own magic pebble. If the students or patrons are a little bit older, they could write a simple story about their pebble’s magic powers.