Sylvester And The Magic Pebble

by William Steig

“Sylvester And The Magic Pebble” by William Steig. Published by Simon & Schuster. A classic picture book which talks about how hasty decisions made due to panic can result in unexpected situations.

Sylvester Duncan, a donkey, lived with his parents in Oatsdale. His hobby was to collect pebbles of unusual shapes and sizes. On a rainy day during his vacation, he found a small red magical pebble which could make wishes come true if they were uttered while holding it. He felt very lucky to have found such a remarkable pebble and eagerly started walking back home.

As Sylvester was crossing the Strawberry hill on his way, thinking about what all he could wish for using the pebble, he was startled by the presence of a mean looking lion. The lion looked very hungry and he got frightened. If he had not panicked, he might have wished to be back home safe with his parents or he could have made the lion disappear or something similar. But he ended up wishing that he were a rock. And his wish was fulfilled immediately. The lion was confused as to where the donkey had disappeared when he had seen it so clearly just a moment ago.

What happened next? Could Sylvester turn back into his normal self once again? What could he do now with the pebble lying next to the rock? How could he hold it and make a wish? Could anyone figure out that he had turned into a rock? Whatever was he going to do?! Would his parents ever find him? Could anyone hear his voice? Read this beautiful story filled with magic to find out if Sylvester got reunited with his family.

My almost eight year old has loved reading this book for two years now. It was one of his gifts for his sixth birthday and he just couldn’t get enough of the book in the first few days. The message conveyed through the story to not panic and think coolly had made its mark on him. He realised how the story would have been so different if Sylvester had thought smartly and not made the wrong wish. The book is a Caldecott Gold Medal winner and selected as one of the 100 best books of the century by the National Education Association of USA.

Recommended Age

The book is apt for children aged 6 and above.

Reasons to Read

The story conveys the message of think before you act and do not take decisions in haste which can get one into unexpected situations.