Sylvester and the Magic Pebble

 Review

Common Sense Media says

Gently addresses children's fear of abandonment.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

Find out more

Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

Find out more

Parents say

Not yet rated

Kids say

Not yet rated

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that Steig's drawings capture the animals' emotions perfectly, as Sylvester learns that a simple wish can sometimes backfire, but love can overcome all.

What's the story?

Sylvester must have had rocks in his head when he panics at the advance of a lion, and to escape turns himself into--a rock! Unrecognizable to Mom, Dad, and everyone, is he doomed to be a rock forever? Is it luck, or fate, that brings them to picnic on that one particular rock, where everyone obtains what he or she has been wishing for?

 


Is it any good?

 

Once again, William Steig addresses one of childhood's biggest latent fears, abandonment. But his gentle, unerring handling of this issue makes for an endearing story full of pathos and strength. Steig's belief in the magic (mysteries) of life is central to this story, both in creating the anxious situation and relieving it. Steig won the Caldecott Medal for children's-book illustration for this book, and while it's a good choice to recognize within Steig's body of work, with its attention to detail and bright colors, it is no more stunning than many other children's books. It is Steig's deserving style and sensitive attention to faces in all his work that was probably given tribute then.

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.


Sign Up Message
Sign up for our weekly newsletter
Each week we send a customized newsletter to our parent and teen subscribers. Parents can customize their settings to receive recommendations and parent tips based on their kids’ ages. Teens receive a version just for them with the latest reviews and top picks for movies, video games, apps, music, books, and more.
Please enter an email address.
Please check your email address for possible typos.
Sorry, you must be 13 or older to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Sign me up!

What families can talk about

Families can talk about the notion of being careful what you wish for. How does Sylvester's wish make things go all wrong? How does he solve his problem, and what does he learn from it?


This review was written by Kevin McCaffrey
Teen, 16 years old
April 22, 2011
 
A Story Children Wish For!
The only thing that someone might be nervous about is when Sylvester wishes himself into being a rock, to escape a hungry lion.

Flag as inappropriate 
Parent of 4 and 8 year old
April 14, 2010
 
Be thankful!
I think this is a good book. I helps to show children that they should be thankful for what they have. But, why is Sylvester the only donkey in his family without clothing?

Flag as inappropriate 

This review was written by Kevin McCaffrey
Author:William Steig
Illustrator:William Steig
Book type:Fiction
Genre:For Beginning Readers
Publisher:Simon & Schuster
Publication date:January 1, 2000
Number of pages:32
Paperback price:$6.99
Publisher's recommended age(s):4 - 7

This review was written by Kevin McCaffrey
 

Review It

Share your review with others

Hang on! You need to be a member to post your review.
A safe community is important to us. Please observe our guidelines.

Register now to save reviews and advice articles to your personal lists!


About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

Great alternatives handpicked by our editors

 

vote now

Will you read Sylvester and the Magic Pebble?


Already read it? What do you think?

 

Been There? Tell us about it