Itemize Books In Favor Of Sylvester and the Magic Pebble
| Original Title: | Sylvester and the Magic Pebble |
| ISBN: | 067166154X (ISBN13: 9780671661540) |
| Edition Language: | English |
| Characters: | Sylvester Duncan, Mr Duncan, Mrs Duncan |
| Literary Awards: | Caldecott Medal (1970), Lewis Carroll Shelf Award (1978), National Book Award Finalist for Children's Books (1970) |
William Steig
Hardcover | Pages: 32 pages Rating: 4.15 | 41859 Users | 1512 Reviews
Chronicle Toward Books Sylvester and the Magic Pebble
I remember reading this as a kid as I was reading this to my niece and nephew. I didn’t remember reading it by title alone, but when the donkey was turned into a stone, I remember that feeling of helplessness I felt and that this story would be terrible. I didn’t think there was a way out. I remember those old feelings the story made me feel. I think this was read to me. I love it when that happens. I hope it happens more and more as I get into the newer books or books of the 70s and 80s that would have been read to me. I also have a distinct memory of that red pebble sitting just a few inches from the rock. Memory can be so strange. This is a great story. It’s a classic. It still connects to young readers on a deeper level. The kids were engrossed in this story. No one could figure out how the donkey would get back to being a donkey. When the donkey was making a wish, the nephew and niece talked about what they would do instead of wishing to be a rock. The nephew, no surprise, said he would wish he was big Frankenstein and he would scare the lion away. The niece would have turned the lion into a unicorn and let her ride him back to town. They came up with other fun and interesting ideas before we went on with the story. neither of them could figure out how Sylvester would become himself again until they saw the sad parents going on a picnic and then they both knew what would happen. Lovely artwork here, amazing story that really packs an emotional punch. The nephew gave this 5 stars and the niece gave this 4 stars.
Specify Containing Books Sylvester and the Magic Pebble
| Title | : | Sylvester and the Magic Pebble |
| Author | : | William Steig |
| Book Format | : | Hardcover |
| Book Edition | : | Deluxe Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 32 pages |
| Published | : | April 1st 1988 by Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing (first published 1969) |
| Categories | : | Childrens. Picture Books. Fantasy |
Rating Containing Books Sylvester and the Magic Pebble
Ratings: 4.15 From 41859 Users | 1512 ReviewsDiscuss Containing Books Sylvester and the Magic Pebble
From childhood, I have been troubled whenever I know something as a reader (or viewer) that characters in a book (or show) have yet to discover. It makes me so anxious that I either want to stop reading, or skip quickly ahead to the (hopefully) happy ending. This is probably why I have never liked Sylvester and the Magic Pebble. Theres nothing wrong with the story - its well-told, well-illustrated, and has an important moral. The animals are depicted with very human characteristics and clothing,Banned Book Week 2017. This year I'm reading a few picture books that have been challenged for their content, this one apparently because the police are portrayed as pigs. That seems pretty innocuous or at best a gentle, lazy jab in a gentle, lazy story.I'm torn in deciding if this story is a simple variation on The Monkey's Paw, a fable about the grief of parents' who have lost a child and hope to one day be reunited in the afterlife, or a Christian allegory with miracles, Roman lions, and a
I didn't remember much about this story, though the illustrations are familiar. I was surprised how sad and aching the story is, on the whole; perhaps it's just that I'm reading it now as a parent and it's so very chilling to think of what Sylvester's parents are going through. (And poor Sylvester as a rock that whole time! It's probably equally chilling to read it as a child--the thought of being separated from your parents all that time!) The ending is so heartwarming and I love the message,
1970 Caldecott Winner. This book was a childhood favorite of mine. I don't know if it is because it won the Caldecott in the year I was born, or because it was a story that dealt with a topic that I was mostly unfamiliar with. The grief that Sylvester's family must have felt stayed with me my whole life. Be careful what you wish for!
When Sylvester finds a beautiful red pebble one day, the rock-collecting donkey is delighted. When that pebble turns out to be a magical stone that grants wishes, he is even more overjoyed, and rushes home to share the largess with his loving parents. Unfortunately, a chance encounter with a lion on his way, and a hastily made wish, see him transformed into an inanimate stone, with little prospect of ever being released from his self-inflicted enchantment. As Sylvester's parents begin their long
Amusing tale about the dangers of omnipotent power.
William Steig was a good painter and, in my judgment, a better writer. I don't love this particular book like I love Steig's Amos and Boris, but it's still quite good. The author evokes the hopelessness of Sylvester's situation--"stone-dumb"--and by extending it a little longer than you'd expect on first reading he heightens the drama and therefore the satisfaction at Sylvester's second and better metamorphosis. My favorite aspects of Steig's writing are his love of the long sentence, his often
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