BIBLIOGRAPHY
Steig, William. Sylvester and the Magic Pebble. New York: Aladdin Paperbacks, 1969. ISBN: 1416902066
PLOT SUMMARY
There was a donkey named Sylvester who loved to find rare treasures. One day he found a rare pebble, only to discover that it had magic powers when it was held in his hooves. The donkey made many wishes over the course of a day and met a lion that scared him so much he wished to be turned into a rock.
Once Sylvester became a rock, the lion left him alone, but he could no longer change into another creature, because he had no way of seeing or holding the magic pebble. As a result, he was left alone on a hill and his family had no way of knowing what had happened to him. They developed a search party to look for him, but since Sylvester was a rock, they couldn't find him.
Sylvester stayed a rock for many years on the hill until one day his parents went on a picnic on that hill. Through that, he was able to make a wish and go back to being a donkey. They all lived happily ever after with the magic pebble put in a safe place.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This story was very well written, because it had every element of a story. It also had a great lesson or theme for the reader, to be careful what they wish for, because things aren't always as wonderful as someone may think. Throughout the story, the reader could also understand the importance of relationships through the vicarious experience of Sylvester, since he was lonely for many years and wished to be with his family.
The illustrations in the story were so well developed and had so many details that the reader could understand the story without having to read the book. Readers could also see the emotion of the characters through the pictures and understand their feelings, because of the illustrator's use of tone. The pictures were somewhat understated in color, but this seemed to add to the overall plot and effect of the story. The reader could understand what was happening through the pictures, and they could feel the emotion of the characters, much like in the movies.
This story had a great lesson and theme throughout it for the reader. Adults and children alike would enjoy it and appreciate the lessons in it. The adults could read it and enjoy the theme and overall tone of the story, whereas children would appreciate the story even more, because even if they couldn't read it, they could understand the sequence of events by looking at the illustrations.
REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Caldecott Medal
Lewis Carroll Shelf Award
Alabama Camellia Children's Choice Award
CONNECTIONS
*Use the story to help students understand and explain cause and effect
*Introduce Elements of a Story
*Research the different types of rocks and minerals
*Other books for children about the importance of relationships and lessons:
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