Sylvester and the Magic Pebble: Book and CD

Very sweet story and illustrations. I hadn’t known that this sophisticated New Yorker cartoonist had produced the wonderful children’s books of which this is a fine example.

This is my favorite book from my childhood. I read it all the time as a child and then purchased it when I had my own children and read it to them often. I now have two grandsons and I bought this copy for them. We were visiting them in Alaska when I ordered it. Fortunately, it arrived before our visit ended and I was able to read it to them in person. My four-year-old grandson asked me to read it several times while I was there. I still own the copy I had with my now grown children. I told my grandson to call me anytime on video chat and I could read to him and his little brother from my copy while they read along in theirs. We live in South Carolina and it means the world to me to spend any time with them. I don’t know why I love this book so much, but it is a sweet story about realizing that having a loving family is more important than all the material possessions in the world. It seems to sum up the way I feel about my children and grandchildren and how much they matter. If you decide to order this, I hope you enjoy it as much as I always have. I find it touching, has a soothing tone, and cute characters.

I purchase William Steig's books on the recommendation of a reading teacher, who informed me that the author's books are great reading books for 2nd graders. That is, they are a nice bridge between picture books and chapter books. Steig's story lines are substantial, and while the language and word usage are little "mature" it is age appropriate. A general maxim, in 1st and 2nd grades, a child is learning to read; while starting in 3rd grade, "a child reads to learn." I am trying to get my child ready for 3rd grade reading and comprehension. I wanted my child to have a book with a story line that was a little more complex, not so formulaic or predictable. I am tired of "the handsome prince" and "fairies!" More important, however, I wanted a reading book with more multi-syllable words and advance vocabulary, which his children's books are well known to have. Due to being out of school (distance learning - COVID-19), she did not get a lot of advance phonics, and this book served as good practice, while telling an interest and unique story. Note Well: The subject matter of this particular book, Sylvester and the Magic Pebble, is not for, and should not be read to children younger than 7. It about a donkey who goes missing for a year. My child read this to me, and it was an opportunity for us to discuss parental feelings when their child is lost.

Such a sweet story! I purchased it to read to my son’s 2nd grade class as “mystery reader.” I wanted a title I didn’t think many of them had heard before, and it was a success! The kids were engaged and eager to hear the story until the end! It led to great Q&A following as well. You will not be disappointed!

I love this book. I read it to my first grade class often.

High quality board book. Printed correctly. Love this instead of easily torn pages.

4/1/17 Update: Apparently, this book is a frequently requested re-read by our grandsons since Christmas. The fact that I'd only just discovered this 1970 Caldecott Medal-winning book last fall amazes me, since I'd tried to invest in wonderful children's books for both my own grown sons and our three grandsons. Made me a bit sad to find it so late, and yet hopeful - there must be so many OTHER excellent books I'm not aware of just waiting for me to stumble across them... just as Sylvester Duncan stumbles across a magical, flaming red pebble in this book. Sylvester is a donkey who collects pebbles as a hobby, and the shiny red pebble he finds - when he's touching it - makes his wishes come true. But that old "be careful what you wish for" saying comes to bear when a hungry lion eyes him, and Sylvester wishes himself to become a large rock... he avoids becoming the lion's next meal, but - as a rock - he can now no longer move or speak, and the pebble lies just beyond him - he realizes that the only way he will be transformed back into a donkey would be for someone to pick up the pebble and wish for a rock to become a donkey; his recognition of the astronomically slim chance of that happening sends him into a deep depression. As time passes, his distraught parents are beside themselves with fear and sadness; many months later, resigned now to the thought that they will never see their son again, they attempt to lift their spirits by going on a picnic, Mrs. Duncan decides a large rock (Sylvester) is a good place to lay out the spread, while Mr. Duncan discovers the red pebble lying next to it, declares how much Sylvester would have enjoyed having it as part of his collection, and lays it atop the rock. Eventually Mrs. Duncan wishes aloud that Sylvester was there with him, and Sylvester - with the pebble now touching him - wishes he was himself again and... voila! He returns to his donkey form, tears, embraces, kisses, questions, answers, loving looks and fond exclamations follow. When they return home, the pebble is locked away in an iron safe because - just in being back together - "They all had all that they wanted." This is a powerful, tender story... pretty dark, but with a beautiful light at the end! Apparently the author/illustrator was deeply inspired by the story of Pinocchio during his youth, and the longing of Pinocchio to become a "real boy". Though this Sylvester story does share a darkness that I'd felt reading Pinocchio and seeing the movie as a child, it also shares the overwhelming relief and joy when parent and "child" are reunited. This particular copy of the book is a "restored deluxe edition", reissued after the discovery of the original artwork, with the colors being as the author/illustrator had originally intended. It also includes a copy of his Caldecott Medal acceptance speech. Both in its writing and illustrations, the book beautifully depicts the tenderness between parent/child, the deep seated fears we have as both a child (of being abandoned) and a parent (losing a child) - it's a very powerful and moving story that ends happily, and with the recognition that often what we want most in life - when we look to the core of what brings us happiness - we already possess! Every once in a while, it's nice to be reminded of that.

Book came as expected. A classic, my kids have loved reading it with us at night before bed. A great story and beautiful illustrations.