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Sylvester and the Magic Pebble | 
| Creator: William Steig
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Category: Book
List Price: $17.99
Buy Used: $6.75
You Save: $11.24 (62%)
New (39) Used (14) Collectible (1) from $6.75
Rating:  49 reviews
Sales Rank: 7251
Media: Hardcover
Reading Level: Ages 4-8
Pages: 42
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 10.9 x 8.2 x 0.4
ISBN: 1416902066
EAN: 9781416902065
ASIN: 1416902066
Publication Date: October 25, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: Visible shelf wear -- may have some notes/markings on pages
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com Review
Imagine all the happiness and wealth you could achieve if you found a magic pebble that granted your every wish! Sylvester Duncan, an unassuming donkey who collects pebbles "of unusual shape and color," experiences just such a lucky find. But before he can make all his wishes come true, the young donkey unexpectedly encounters a mean-looking lion. Startled, Sylvester wishes he were a rock, but in mineral form he can no longer hold the pebble, and thus cannot wish himself back to his equine trappings. His parents, thinking he has disappeared, are at first frantic, then miserable, and then plunge into donkey ennui. Meanwhile, Sylvester is gravely depressed, but tries to get used to being a rock. In 1970, William Steig won the Caldecott Medal for Sylvester and the Magic Pebble--the first of his many Newbery and Caldecott honors. In this donkey's tale, Steig imbues his characteristically simple illustrations of animals sporting human garb with evocative, irresistible, and heartbreakingly vivid emotions. The text is straightforward and the dialogue remarkably touching. Children will feel deeply for Sylvester and his parents, all wishing for the impossible--that the family will one day be reunited. Sylvester's sweet story is one that endures, reminding us all that sometimes what we have is all we really need. (Ages 4 to 8)
Product Description
One rainy day, Sylvester finds a magic pebble that can make wishes come true. But when a lion frightens him on his way home, Sylvester makes a wish that brings unexpected results. How Sylvester is eventually reunited with his loving family and restored to his own donkey self makes a story that is beautifully tender and perfectly joyful.Illustrated with William Steig's glowing pictures, this winner of the 1970 Caldecott Medal is a modern classic beloved by children everywhere. Now reissued to celebrate the discovery of the original artwork, this deluxe edition contains painstakingly careful color corrections made from those watercolor originals -- the color you'll see within this book is as Mr. Steig had originally intended it to be. It also features his moving Caldecott Medal acceptance speech. The New York Times Book Review wrote of Mr. Steig that "everything he does is magic." This deluxe edition of Sylvester and the Magic Pebble truly recaptures that magic for a whole new generation of readers.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 44 more reviews...
 Delightful! September 22, 2008
S. Kay Murphy (Mt. Baldy, CA USA)
I'm not quite sure what's behind the criticism from other reviewers of this book; it's fairly innocuous compared to some of the Disney animated features in which the parents of cute animal characters are violently murdered. My granddaughters both love to pick up "pretty rocks" and will bring home pounds of them when we walk in the woods. I bought this book for them--but read it first, because of what other reviewers had said. I loved it--and the girls will, too, I'm sure, as it ends happily. The theme, of course--Be careful what you wish for!--is timeless!
 ordered for a friend September 8, 2008
Ronnie S. (NYC)
Ordered for a friend who is teaching 1st grade in New Orleans and building up her library. Didn't read the book myself, but she chose it on a wish list so I presume she thinks it's a good book for 1st graders.
A delightful story to share with your little ones August 1, 2007
MommaMia (NY)
I love this story...Sylvester is such a sweet character, his parents make you so sad that they can't find him and there he is, right under their noses! It's a simple story, one that even the youngest children will appreciate. I especially like how the parents never really gave up looking for Sylvester and even though he wasn't around, he was still very much a part of their lives. Our loved ones never truly leave us, we are reminded of them daily in all sorts of ways. Such a nice sentiment to share with our children.
 Sylvester and the Magic Pebble April 11, 2007
Sherlock Holmes (Nashville, TN USA)
1 out of 8 found this review helpful
I was disappointed in the book as a whole. When I read it to my second-graders, their "review" of the book was mixed. I don't think that I will be reading it again to another class.
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