Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig

Reviewed by Margo Dill, www.margodill.com, margodll@aol.com

Can Sylvester find his magic pebble?

Picture book for prekindergartners to third graders, fantasy
Sylvester the donkey as a main character
Rating: William Steig has written and illustrated a true classic that children will love for years to come.

Short, short summary: In Sylvester and the Magic Pebble , our loveable donkey, Sylvester, finds a magic pebble. He realizes it is magic when he is holding it, and he wishes it would stop raining. It stops, and he decides to take the pebble home to his parents. On the way, he meets a lion and panics. While holding the pebble, he wishes he would turn into a rock to protect himself from the lion, and of course, he does. Now Sylvester is in a bind because he can not hold the magic pebble, so he can turn back into a donkey. His parents are worried sick about him when he doesn’t return home. They try to cheer up one spring afternoon by going for a picnic, and what do they use for their picnic table? Sylvester the rock. Find out if they manage to turn their son back into a donkey or if he stays forever a rock.

So, what do I do with this book?

1. Sylvester and the Magic Pebble lends itself to the perfect journal writing activity. Students can put themselves in Sylvester’s shoes and decide what they would do if they found a magic pebble. What would they wish for? What would they do with the pebble to keep it safe? How would they control not using the pebble “too much?” These are all questions they can answer in a journal writing activity. You can even start with a prompt such as, “If I had a magic pebble, I would. . .”

2. William Steig creates a problem in this book when Sylvester wishes he was a rock when he encounters the lion. You can talk about story parts with your students when reading this book such as, “Who are the characters?” “What is the setting?” “What is the problem and solution?” Once you have identified all the parts, brainstorm a list of other ways Sylvester could have solved his problem with the lion. What else could he have changed into to get away from the lion that would not have been so permanent? You can challenge students to think of one solution for each student in your class and ask students to illustrate the new way for Sylvester to solve his lion problem.

3. What do students think of the ending of this book? The ending of Sylvester and the Magic Pebble really celebrates family and what is truly important in life. Students may need help understanding why Sylvester and his parents put the magic pebble in a safe place and don’t do anything else with it. Why don’t they make more wishes before they put it away? Do students agree or disagree with what Sylvester’s family decides to do?

If you have read this book to your students, please leave a comment here and let us know what you did. For more information on children’s books, check out this blog: Librarian Mom.

photo by jurek d. www.flickr.com