Be careful what you wish for.
How often have we heard this admonishment? It’s common in many fairy tales, and sometimes the path of wishes ends happily, such as with Disney’s version of Aladdin, and sometimes wishes can very wrong.
Such as with poor Sylvester.
He’s an ordinary child with a hobby he enjoys – collecting rocks. Imagine his joy at finding a beautiful red rock and then the wonder when the pebble grants wishes. As many kids, or let’s be honest, as most people would, Sylvester begins planning all the wonderful things that he can do for himself, for his parents, for the people in his village. So preoccupied with his wish-list making, Sylvester fails to see the hungry lion that finds Sylvester all alone. In a panic, Sylvester makes a wish to protect himself – and this is where things go very wrong. Sylvester turns himself into a rock.
When he doesn’t come home, his parents ask around the village. But no one has seen him. The police help them search, but months pass, and then the seasons, and still there is no sign of Sylvester. The parents grieve.
This grief, this sense of loss from Sylvester’s parents, and the sense of abandonment from Sylvester is where this story shines. The pain is palpable, made even more clear by Steig’s art style. Just look at that cover! The expressions of pain, of joy, of sorrow of fear shine as brightly as the vibrant colors each illustration uses. The story is a beautiful fairy tale, yes, but one that we have heard before. It is the clear, precise rendering of emotion is what makes this book so very beautiful.
Kevin McCraffrey from Common Sense Media said, “As a package, this book offers the same classic satisfaction of most of Steig’s works. So much feeling and nuance stuffed into the simple story and pictures of this little book will make children appreciate the power of books and convince their parents that books should be collected and read over and over.”
So eloquently put, and I cannot agree more.
Awards:
Caldecott – 1970
Steig, William. Sylvester and the Magic Pebble. (1969). New York: Simon and Schuster Books for Yong Readers.
McCaffery, Kevin. “Sylvester and the Magic Pebble – Book Review.” Common Sense Media: Ratings, reviews, advice, Common Sense Media, 4 Sept.2003, www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/sylvester-and-the-magic-pebble. Accessed 6 Sept. 2017.
Ramblings of Jhenry 