Sylvester and the Magic Pebble
Encyclopedia
Sylvester and the Magic Pebble is a children's picture book
written and illustrated by William Steig
. It won him the Caldecott Medal
(1970), his first of many Caldecott and Newbery Medal
honors. It tells the tale of a donkey from the fictional community of Oatsdale. Sylvester, who collects pebbles "of unusual shape and color." One day he happens to come across a pebble that grants wishes. Immediately afterward, a lion scares Sylvester, and as a defense he wishes himself into a rock, the only thing he could think of at the moment. Unfortunately, the magic pebble falls off the rock, and Sylvester is unable to revert to his donkey form as the pebble must be in contact with the wisher to work. The rest of the story deals with the resulting aftermath: Sylvester's personal attempt to change back into his true self and his parents' search for their only son.
The book raised controversy among several school districts and organizations for its portrayal of the police
as pig
s (although anthropomorphic pigs were shown in other professions), and as a result was banned in parts of the United States.
Picture book
A picture book combines visual and verbal narratives in a book format, most often aimed at young children. The images in picture books use a range of media such as oil paints, acrylics, watercolor and pencil.Two of the earliest books with something like the format picture books still retain now...
written and illustrated by William Steig
William Steig
William Steig was a prolific American cartoonist, sculptor and, later in life, an author of popular children's literature...
. It won him the Caldecott Medal
Caldecott Medal
The Caldecott Medal is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children , a division of the American Library Association, to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children published that year. The award was named in honor of nineteenth-century English...
(1970), his first of many Caldecott and Newbery Medal
Newbery Medal
The John Newbery Medal is a literary award given by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association . The award is given to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children. The award has been given since 1922. ...
honors. It tells the tale of a donkey from the fictional community of Oatsdale. Sylvester, who collects pebbles "of unusual shape and color." One day he happens to come across a pebble that grants wishes. Immediately afterward, a lion scares Sylvester, and as a defense he wishes himself into a rock, the only thing he could think of at the moment. Unfortunately, the magic pebble falls off the rock, and Sylvester is unable to revert to his donkey form as the pebble must be in contact with the wisher to work. The rest of the story deals with the resulting aftermath: Sylvester's personal attempt to change back into his true self and his parents' search for their only son.
The book raised controversy among several school districts and organizations for its portrayal of the police
Police
The police is a personification of the state designated to put in practice the enforced law, protect property and reduce civil disorder in civilian matters. Their powers include the legitimized use of force...
as pig
Pig
A pig is any of the animals in the genus Sus, within the Suidae family of even-toed ungulates. Pigs include the domestic pig, its ancestor the wild boar, and several other wild relatives...
s (although anthropomorphic pigs were shown in other professions), and as a result was banned in parts of the United States.