Rating: 
Summary: Charming Story With an Unlikely Hero
Review: "Sylvester and the Magic Pebble" is a charming children's story about a donkey family, the Duncans, and their son Sylvester who has an insatiable urge to collect pebbles of unusual shape and color. Life is just fine for the Duncans until Sylvester finds a magic pebble that grants wishes. Sylvester gets very excited after finding out by trial and error in a very childlike way that his latest pebble grants wishes. He rushes home to tell his parents and bumps into a lion on the way home. Being a young donkey, he has no idea how to wish himself out of danger with the lion so he wishes to... One of the story's biggest surprises is that Sylvester's big wish to save himself from the lion is very to predict. I certainly, as an adult, would never have guessed what Sylvester wished for to save himself from the lion. I picked up a very inexpensive soft cover edition of this book as a gift for the little boy I home-school. He has severe seizures that doctors haven't figured out how to control yet with medication. As a result he can't attend school and must be home-schooled until they find medications that can control his seizures. In addition, he is a Ukrainian immigrant who has been here less than a year so he is an LEP (Limited English Proficiency) student. I relate this information because it does relate to my book review since he was the child I purchased the book. Being that my student relies upon me, his home-school teacher, for his entire link to schooling, education, and English training, I needed a book that: 1. Was well illustrated to keep a child's interest who didn't understand many of the words.
2. Had a touching story that made both of us thoughtful (and could cheer him up as well).
3. Had appropriate language for a child still in the developing stages of learning English.
4. Could somehow be relevant to the life of a child stuck at home with illness. "Sylvester and the Magic Pebble" was everything I asked for. The Duncans are a loving donkey family in the story and their love for another comes through in both the writing and illustrations. Both my student and I enjoyed the story and we're still reading it until my student will be able to read it on his own (He's getting closer too!). I don't want to give away the story, but Sylvester wishes himself into a rock to escape the lion. Unfortunately as a rock, Sylvester couldn't make more wishes with the rock to return to being a donkey boy. The rest of the story relates how Sylvester felt as a rock, how his parents missed him and searched for him, and how Sylvester eventually returns to being a donkey boy again. My student related Sylvester being a rock to being stuck at home with seizures. The language, while at an intermediate to advanced level of English fluency, was appropriate with a little scaffolding (a fancy education term that means preparing the student with vocabulary and new concepts). Both my student and I loved "Sylvester and the Magic Pebble." I highly recommend "Sylvester and the Magic Pebble" to parents and children. It's a charming story that's innovative and distinctive from others. Review by: Maximillian Ben Hanan
Rating:
Summary: How is Sylvester going to get back to being a normal donkey?
Review: A children's book for ages 4 to 8 about a donkey named Sylvester who finds a magic pebble which can grant his every wish. Unfortunately, he changes himself into a rock after being freightened by a lion and he can't change himself back without the help from someone else. His family and friends miss him greatly. One has to be very careful when one has unlimited power (or, ability to have one's wishes granted). Many rulers have fallen into that trap! This book won the 1970 Caldecott Medal for best illustrations in a book for children. Children have always loved this story.
Rating:
Summary: Do you believe in magic (pebbles)?
Review: A worrisome tale wrought with sorrow and, ultimately, joy. But, just the same, a worrisome tale. In this classic Steig work, a young donkey comes across a magic pebble. The pebble is round and smooth and a brilliant red. Entranced by it, Sylvester finds that he can wish for whatsoever he chooses and instantly receive it. Overjoyed he turns for home, but finds himself confronting a hungry lion. In his haste and fear, Sylvester accidentally wishes he were a rock. Unfortunately, this wish works but leaves Sylvester trapped in his new rocky form. And when his parents look for him high and low and cannot find him, Sylvester is believed to be forever lost. But as I said, all turns out well in the end. This story is somewhat heart-wrenching to parents. Certainly the kids that read it will understand how sad Sylvester would be to potentially never return home again. And parents reading this will be overwhelmed with the emotions involved with the loss of a child. Perhaps this story won the 1970 Caldecott medal because it does go so far as to directly touch on this most sensitive of topics. At the same time, this may be a kids book but it's too much for me. Silly, isn't it? I can zip through William Styron's "Sophie's Choice" and have a grand old time, but "Sylvester and the Magic Pebble" reduces me to a pile of wobbling jello. Enjoy with caveats galore.
Rating:
Summary: Do you believe in magic (pebbles)?
Review: A worrisome tale wrought with sorrow and, ultimately, joy. But, just the same, a worrisome tale. In this classic Steig work, a young donkey comes across a magic pebble. The pebble is round and smooth and a brilliant red. Entranced by it, Sylvester finds that he can wish for whatsoever he chooses and instantly receive it. Overjoyed he turns for home, but finds himself confronting a hungry lion. In his haste and fear, Sylvester accidentally wishes he were a rock. Unfortunately, this wish works but leaves Sylvester trapped in his new rocky form. And when his parents look for him high and low and cannot find him, Sylvester is believed to be forever lost. But as I said, all turns out well in the end. This story is somewhat heart-wrenching to parents. Certainly the kids that read it will understand how sad Sylvester would be to potentially never return home again. And parents reading this will be overwhelmed with the emotions involved with the loss of a child. Perhaps this story won the 1970 Caldecott medal because it does go so far as to directly touch on this most sensitive of topics. At the same time, this may be a kids book but it's too much for me. Silly, isn't it? I can zip through William Styron's "Sophie's Choice" and have a grand old time, but "Sylvester and the Magic Pebble" reduces me to a pile of wobbling jello. Enjoy with caveats galore.
Rating: 
Summary: A Donkey and his Magic Pebble
Review: An interesting child's story, with hints of mature thinking visible only to readers of later years. Fun for kids, great story, and still worthwhile for adults.
Rating:
Summary: Cute book, award-winning illustrations
Review: First off, I would like to indicate that the Caldecott award was given for the illustrations in this book, not the writing. I think it's very misleading that sellers of this book just indicate it received a Caldecott but leave out the fact that it's for the illustrations and not the content of the book. I didn't realize that award was given for illustrations before I had children and I feel I was mislead by the bookseller.
That said, this is a cute book about a donkey who finds the "magic" pebble and turns himself into a stone. I don't think it's appropriate reading for a toddler below age four. It's pretty sad to see the poor thing sitting there as a rock, unable to change himself back to a donkey. But, wishing for things that are not practical is the major emphasis of this book. Being content with what you have and what you are is the basic storyline. It's cute, but I think there are better books out there to emphasize such topics and are not quite as stressful for little ones to read and enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: Lovely Book
Review: I am a granma to 3 beautiful grandaughters and when my children where little my middle son's teacher read him this book at school he was so touched by it that when i saw an article on william steig and realised that it was the same author who has since written shrek i determined to purchase this wonderful book for my grandchildren who i must say have enjoyed it as much as my children did. A wonderful story teaches children that its not always pleasant to get what you wish for and sometimes its just nice to be grateful for what you've got.
Rating:
Summary: Cute Little Story
Review: I am a student at West Virignia State College taking Children's Literature. As part of our assignment, we were to read a Caldecott Award Winning Book and write our personal review. I thought the book was adorable! It was a cute story and I am confident that small children would enjoy this book. The artwork is bright and vivid and tells the story right along with the words. It could be used as tool to teach children about wishing for things that we want is not always good for us. The choice of words used in the story was ones that allow opportunity to teach new vocabulary words or new ideas to younger children. Some examples are ceased, perplexed, bewildered, and frantic.
Rating:
Summary: It is a great book for little kids and old people too
Review: I like the book very much because it is a gerate fiction story.Sylvester is sad and happy in the book. His family misses him.Maria and Darian
Rating:
Summary: One of my favorite books
Review: I loved this book when I was a child. The story is awesome and the pictures are so cute. A great book.
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