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Sylvester and the Magic Pebble
from: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
List Price: $17.99Our Price: $12.23 You Save: $5.76 (32%)Prices subject to change.
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Binding: Hardcover
EAN: 9781416902065
ISBN: 1416902066
Label: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 42
Publication Date: October 25, 2005
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Reading Level: Ages 4-8
Studio: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Accessories:
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Editorial Review:
Imagine all the happiness and wealth you could achieve if you found a magic pebble that granted your every wish! Sylvester Duncan, an unassuming donkey who collects pebbles "of unusual shape and color," experiences just such a lucky find. But before he can make all his wishes come true, the young donkey unexpectedly encounters a mean-looking lion. Startled, Sylvester wishes he were a rock, but in mineral form he can no longer hold the pebble, and thus cannot wish himself back to his equine trappings. His parents, thinking he has disappeared, are at first frantic, then miserable, and then plunge into donkey ennui. Meanwhile, Sylvester is gravely depressed, but tries to get used to being a rock.
In 1970, William Steig won the Caldecott Medal for Sylvester and the Magic Pebble--the first of his many Newbery and Caldecott honors. In this donkey's tale, Steig imbues his characteristically simple illustrations of animals sporting human garb with evocative, irresistible, and heartbreakingly vivid emotions. The text is straightforward and the dialogue remarkably touching. Children will feel deeply for Sylvester and his parents, all wishing for the impossible--that the family will one day be reunited. Sylvester's sweet story is one that endures, reminding us all that sometimes what we have is all we really need. (Ages 4 to 8)
One rainy day, Sylvester finds a magic pebble that can make wishes come true. But when a lion frightens him on his way home, Sylvester makes a wish that brings unexpected results. How Sylvester is eventually reunited with his loving family and restored to his own donkey self makes a story that is beautifully tender and perfectly joyful.
Illustrated with William Steig's glowing pictures, this winner of the 1970 Caldecott Medal is a modern classic beloved by children everywhere. Now reissued to celebrate the discovery of the original artwork, this deluxe edition contains painstakingly careful color corrections made from those watercolor originals -- the color you'll see within this book is as Mr. Steig had originally intended it to be. It also features his moving Caldecott Medal acceptance speech.
The New York Times Book Review wrote of Mr. Steig that "everything he does is magic." This deluxe edition of Sylvester and the Magic Pebble truly recaptures that magic for a whole new generation of readers.
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Delightful!
I'm not quite sure what's behind the criticism from other reviewers of this book; it's fairly innocuous compared to some of the Disney animated features in which the parents of cute animal characters are violently murdered. My granddaughters both love to pick up "pretty rocks" and will bring home pounds of them when we walk in the woods. I bought this book for them--but read it first, because of what other reviewers had said. I loved it--and the girls will, too, I'm sure, as it ends happily. ... Read More
Rating:  - ordered for a friend
Ordered for a friend who is teaching 1st grade in New Orleans and building up her library. Didn't read the book myself, but she chose it on a wish list so I presume she thinks it's a good book for 1st graders.
Rating: - A delightful story to share with your little ones
I love this story...Sylvester is such a sweet character, his parents make you so sad that they can't find him and there he is, right under their noses! It's a simple story, one that even the youngest children will appreciate. I especially like how the parents never really gave up looking for Sylvester and even though he wasn't around, he was still very much a part of their lives. Our loved ones never truly leave us, we are reminded of them daily in all sorts of ways. Such a nice sentiment to ... Read More
Rating:  - Sad, depressing story
I bought this book - sight unseen - because it was on my son's reading list for kindergarten. I about cried the first time I read it - it is very sad. It is about a boy who gets a magic pebble, and he can get whatever he wishes - and he accidentally turns into a rock and his parents cannot find him and mourn his loss. Then circumstances happen that he turns back into himself - like a year later. I just thought it was very weird and we will likely donate this book to the local library. Did not ... Read More
Rating:  - Sylvester and the Magic Pebble
I was disappointed in the book as a whole. When I read it to my second-graders, their "review" of the book was mixed. I don't think that I will be reading it again to another class.
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