Steig, William. 1987. SYLVESTER AND THE MAGIC PEBBLE. Ill. William Steig. Aladdin Paperbacks. ISBN 978-0-671-66269-1
PLOT SUMMARY
Sylvester finds a unique pebble that turns out to have magical powers. Upon testing the pebble's magic, he panics at the sight of a lion and wishes to be turned into a rock. He sits at the top of Strawberry hill hoping by a miracle someone would help him to reverse his wish. One day, his parents are out on a picnic when they place the magic pebble on the rock and with a simple wish he is reunited with his family.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The story begins by drawing in children with the magic of a pebble. Sylvester is introduced as a child-like character. Upon learning his rock is magical he is interested in using it for good for his family and friends. He runs into a hopeless situation when he is frightened at the sight of a lion and wishes himself into a rock. This plot of the story is not the most believable but it makes the reader stop and think of moments in life where you make a split-second decision that probably wasn't the best one to make. As he thinks of ways to turn himself back, time passes with no luck, so the reader feels a sense of desperation and hopelessness.
As time is passing and the seasons are changing we see the story pull us in emotionally and must feel empathetic for Sylvester and his parents. When the characters find their happy ending the reader finds a sense of happiness. The illustrations complement the story as colors change according to the seasons. If you look closely the illustrations clarify the text with important details such as wilted flowers in a vase as Sylvester’s mother is tearing up as she is crocheting and the text mentions they probably would never see their son again.
The author’s style of writing creates a mood when he describes how the earth changes along with the seasons. The illustrations move the plot along as we see the setting of Strawberry Hill through three season changes to show the lapse of time. Sylvester and his parents are very life-like as they do day to day activities such as rocking on a chair, dressing in clothes and going for picnics. In this picture book we learn that family is more important than any materialistic desires.
REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
-Caldecott Medal 1970
-Child Study Children’s Book Committee, 1995
-Elementary School Library Collection, 2000
-Horn Book Magazine
-Library Journal New York Times
-Publishers Weekly 2005
-Wilson’s Children 2010
Kirkus Reviews: "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."
Hornbook Reviews: “A remarkable atmosphere of childlike innocence pervades the book; beautiful pictures in full, natural color show daily and seasonal changes in the lush countryside and greatly extend the kindly humor and the warm, unself-conscious tenderness."
CONNECTIONS
*This story helps students identify the problem and solution. This is a great book for readers who are transitioning from picture books to more advanced leveled books.
*This was my first time reading this story and I felt all the emotions from sadness and desperation to joy and relief. Reading this story with an adult would be very beneficial for a young reader in order to fully get the experience of the sense of magic through reading.
Other stories: Brave Irene by William Steig ISBN: 978-0-329-95462-8
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