Sylvester and the Magic Pebble

Bibliographic Data: 

 

Steig, William. Sylvester and the Magic Pebble. New York: Windmill Books: Simon and Schuster, 1969.

ISBN 9780525623007

 

Plot Summary:

When Sylvester Duncan the donkey discovers an exceptional red pebble that can grant his wishes, he is eager to get home and show his parents. On the way home he encounters a lion and panics wishing himself into rock form.This is unfortunate because now he can no longer make a wish to turn back into a donkey since he have no voice as a rock and is required to be touching the magic pebble as he makes his wishes. As Sylvester sits helplessly and hopelessly as a rock, his parents franticly begin searching for him with no luck. The seasons pass with no hope for Sylvester. Mr. and Mrs. Duncan decide to take a picnic in order to cheer up. During the picnic, Mr. Duncan finds and places the pebble on Sylvester where he can now wish himself back to donkey form and the family can be together again.

Critical Analysis:

William Steig introduces the reader to a relatable figure by personifying Sylvester, the donkey. Sylvester is a character who has the ability to experience human emotions (happiness, loss, and regret) most children can comprehend and sympathize with. The plot leads Sylvester, the stone, through days, nights, and seasons of hopeless anticipation that younger readers can eagerly analyze.  The concept of a magical pebble is intriguing and the element of family stressed at the conclusion of the story leave the reader with a sense of hope, happiness and thankfulness.

Steig also illustrates the work using warm, vibrant watercolors. Each illustration corresponds with the story being told and paints (literally) the perfect picture of a humanized donkey suffering through some unpleasant experiences due to a magical pebble. Characters are realistically painted as animals and colors are true to real life. Some of the most impressive illustrations are those depicting Sylvester’s experiences through the seasons. Fall, winter and spring are portrayed using vivid, seasonal colors, for example warm oranges and gold for fall, crisp grays highlighting the white snow for winter, and beautiful blues and greens enhancing a springtime scene.

Awards:

Randolph Caldecott Medal Winner, 1970

 

Review Excerpt(s):

Children’s Literature review, 2005:
“His [Sylvester’s] childlike expression and his faith in the magical stone touch the believer in all of us. His wanting more out of life is a universal issue. The problem is surprising and seemingly insurmountable. Children will get great joy from exploring ways to help Sylvester.”

 

Kirkus review, March 1969:

“Sylvester's "only chance of becoming himself again was for someone to find the red pebble and to wish that the rock next to it would be a donkey"--surely the prize predicament of the year and, in William Steig's pearly colors, one of the prettiest.”

Connections:

* Bring a bag a marbles, one for each child. Pass one out to everyone so it can serve as their own magic pebble. As they hold their “pebble” ask them what they would wish for if their stone was actually magic.

* Some follow up questions to ask: What would you have done with the magic pebble in the end? Why do you think Sylvester’s parents put the pebble in the safe? Have you ever been able to relate to Sylvester as the rock and felt like you weren’t being heard? What lesson did Sylvester learn in the end?

*Some other works with magical plots:

  -Steig, William. The Amazing Bone ISBN 9780374302481

  -Kimmel, Eric. Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock. ISBN 9780823406890

        -Fox, Mem; Tusa, Tricia, The Magic Hat. ISBN 9780152057152

Leonardo the Terrible Monster

Bibliographic Data:  

 

Willems, Mo. Leonardo the Terrible Monster. New York: Hyperion Books for Children, 2005.

ISBN 9780786852949

 

Plot Summary:

Leonardo is having a hard time scaring anyone. He decides to find a kid he can easily “scare the tuna salad out of”. Leonardo tries everything to scare little Sam and manages to make him cry. However, the tears weren’t because of Leonardo, but due to fact that everything has gone wrong with Sam’s day. After Leonardo hears this, he decides he will no longer be a monster, but a good friend.

Critical Analysis:

This amusing picture book is simplistic in its design and engages the reader through unique storytelling techniques. The reader is lead through a series of reasons why Leonardo is such terrible monster. Each page averages only 5-6 words (with the exception of Sam’s emotional explanation for his tears) and gives the reader opportunity to focus on each character’s features. Plenty of blank space is provided with bold, visual text.  

Large font, open space and clean lines allow the reader to focus more on the words and not be overwhelmed by any over-the-top details. The colors throughout are muted pastels. Leonardo’s expressions and activities are made evident through simplistic illustrations consisting of neat lines and uncomplicated shapes. The illustrations take up very little of each page and in most cases the text takes up more. With the majority of the page designs being so modest where illustration is concerned, those pages that do contain larger images, like the two page close up of Leonardo or the illustrations of Leonardo’s monster friends for example, seem to have a much more dramatic effect.

Awards:

Book Sense Book of the Year Award, 2006
Charlotte Zolotow Award, 2006

 

Review Excerpt(s):

Starred review in School Library Journal:
 “Will have grown-ups chuckling, too. A surefire hit.”

Booklist review, July 2005:
" A winner for story hours, with plenty of discussion possibilities."

 

Kirkus review, July 2005:

“With a palette straight from the endpapers of Where the Wild Things Are… Willems crafts a sweetly original morality play about a very unscary monster.”

 

Connections:

* Students can create their own monsters to “scare the tuna salad” out of their classmates. Gather paper bags, glue, construction paper, google-y eyes, etc. Here is a great blog with instructions – No Time for Flash Cards

* Discuss the illustrations in the book with students. Which one was their favorite? Did they like that there was more space than pictures? Compare some other books by Mo Willems. How are the illustrations similar? Different?

*Some other works by Mo Willems:

 

        -Willems, Mo. Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! ISBN 9780786819881

          -Willems, Mo. Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale. ISBN 9780786818709

       -Willems, Mo. Edwina, the Dinosaur Who Didn’t Know She Was Extinct. ISBN 9780786837489

A Ball for Daisy

Bibliographic Data:  

 

Raschka, Chris. A Ball for Daisy. New York: Swartz and Wade, 2011.

ISBN 9780375858611

 

Plot Summary:

Daisy is dog who loves her big, red ball. Her love is evident as she eagerly bounces, rolls, chases, and naps with her ball. A trip to the park with Daisy’s owner begins with more rolling, chasing and fetching. A new friend wants to play too and joins the game of fetch but sadly, Daisy’s new playmate squashes the new ball after chomping too hard during their game. Daisy is evidently distressed by this loss. A reluctant second trip to the park reveals a gift from Daisy’s playmate. A new ball! Daisy is happy once again with a new blue ball to curl up with on the couch.

Critical Analysis:

A Ball for Daisy is extraordinary in the fact that the entire story is told exclusively through pictures. The “reader” is taken through a line of emotions ranging from ultimate bliss to an overwhelming sense of loss. The protagonist, Daisy, shows us rather than tells us, as any dog would, her strong feelings towards her big, red ball. The emotional aspects of the story are easily identifiable and allow children to comprehend what is going on through a “storyboard-like” series of colorful, inviting images.

Raschka’s illustrations in A Ball for Daisy are the foundation for the entire story. They are the story. Raschka’s painterly techniques are simplistic and his use of watercolors is warm and vibrant. He focuses more on the objects and characters rather than the backgrounds of the pages. The artwork carries a greater detail to facial expressions, for example Daisy’s moods throughout, and the vivid color of the red ball stands out more with background colors being slightly muted against the activities on each page. Each illustration is organized sequentially by either rectangular or boxed scenes.

This particular picture book is one that definitely fosters visual literacy through its vivid images and story thread. Additionally it promotes a clear, easy to follow plot for a broad variety of age groups to enjoy.

Awards:

Randolph Caldecott Medal Winner, 2012

New York Times Best Illustrated Children’s Books, 2011

 

Review Excerpt(s):

Starred review in School Library Journal, August 2011:
"Raschka’s genius lies in capturing the essence of situations that are deeply felt by children."

Starred Review in Horn Book, September/October 2011:
"a story that is noteworthy for both its artistry and its child appeal."

Starred Review in Kirkus Reviews, December 1, 2011:
“Rarely, perhaps never, has so steep an emotional arc been drawn with such utter, winning simplicity.”

 

Connections:

* Because this particular book in organized sequentially, certain pictures can be grouped as scenes fairly easily. Have each child play a character and act out the story scene by scene. This is their chance to apply words to the pictures they have just “read” visually.

* Incorporate a big, red ball into follow up discussion. Toss to those students who would like to share their thoughts.

*Some other wordless picture books to try:

 

    -Pinkney, Jerry. The Lion and the Mouse. ISBN 9780316013567

 -Wiesner, David. Flotsam. ISBN 978-0618194575