Sylvester and the Magic Pebble (Winner of The Caldiecott Medal)

Truly one of the best books of all time...for children and adults. The engaging Steig illustrations tell a tale that has a simple,powerful and timeless message for everyone. I laughed, I creid, I remembered what's important. Don't miss sharing this one with your family.

Sylvester is a sweet donkey end this is a sweet tale.

Wonderful story! My 4 year old twins love this story. Beautifully written to tell a story of wishes and realizing what we have is all we really need; family and love

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 can not wish himself back to donkeyhood. 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 simple 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.GRADE : A

Sylvester and the Magic Pebble won the Caldecott Medal as the best illustrated children's story of 1970. The images stand out for their tender renditions of emotion in the faces and bodies of the animals in the illustrations. Nature is rendered in just as malleable a way to emphasize the changes going on in the story. The story itself is a variation of the familiar theme of the grass being greener on the other side. In typical fashion, that fable theme is carried out here through many trials and tribulations that will help your child appreciate the joys of what otherwise would be consider humdrum. The strength of the story is the way the moral is made more explicit than in most other versions of this theme. This book will never be forgotten by any child who reads it, and should be enjoyed by most children beginning around age 3. Fascination will tend to dull after age 6.Sylvester Duncan (a donkey) lived with his parents. His favorite activity was to collect pebbles of unusual shapes and colors. One rainy Saturday during vacation, he was alone when he found a quite extraordinary one. It was "flaming red, shiny, and perfectly round, like a marble." Shivering in the rain, he wished that the sun would come out . . . and it did. The rain stopped so fast, "It CEASED." "It struck him that magic must be at work . . . ." He "guessed that the magic must be in the . . . pebble." He then ran three tests. He started the rain, stopped it again, and got rid of a wart on his left hind fetlock.Excited, he headed back home.He ran into a lion. Startled, he made a wish without thinking. "I wish I were a rock." Well, he succeeded. The lion left.The only trouble was, the pebble fell away from Sylvester. He could no longer hold it to make more wishes come true. He wished away, but still stayed a rock. It was a very dull occupation. His parents were frantic, and started a massive search. Even the dogs could do no good because Sylvester smelled like a rock rather than himself. A year passed slowly.Then through happenstance, the pebble touches Sylvester again. When he wished to be Sylvester again, he changed back in a twinkling!The Duncan family was delighted to be reunited. "Mr. Duncan put the magic pebble in an iron safe." "Some day they might want to use it, but really, for now, what more could they wish for?" "They had all they wanted." As you can see, this story is good for dealing with issues like your child's concerns about losing her or his parents, separation anxiety, the dangers of leaving home, and "magic" based fears. You can provide lots of encouraging reassurance as you read the story, explaining how your child's situation is much different from Sylvester's. The illustrations pick up on the language in the story, so this book will be one of the easier books for you child to learn to read when he or she is around 5 or 6. After you finish the story, I suggest that you ask your child what she or he would wish for if a magic pebb

Our children, ages 2 and 5, have been obsessed with this book. We have enjoyed it thoroughly, too. Mr. Steig's writing captures the internal experiences and emotions of the characters in a way that few books for children do. The writing encourages children to consider what it would be like to be trapped, lost, or separated from their parents, and the joy of reunion.It also has some of the greatest lines in literature: "The warmth of his own mother sitting on him woke Sylvester up from his deep winter sleep." How can you beat that?