ISBN:0-671-66154-x
Author and Illustrator: William Steig
Date of publication:1969
Award won: Caldecott Medal
Age recommendation: ages 4 and up
Group represented: a family of donkies with 0ther animal characters
This story is about a family of Donkies. The son, Sylvester loved to collect rocks. One day he was out in the woods and he came upon a shiney red pebble unlike any pebble he had ever seen before. He soon discovered by chance the pebble was magical and he could wish for whatever he wanted and it would happen as long as he was holding the pebble. He was on his way back home when he soon ran into a wolf and he was afraid he would be eaten. In a state of panic he wished that he was a rock so he could escape from being eaten. As soon as Sylvester became a rock he realized that he would not be able to wish himself back to a donkey. Someone would have to stumble upon the shiny red pebble and wish that Sylvester was back as a donkey. Days went by and Sylvester sank deeper into depression as the chances of someone finding him grew slimer. His parents were very sad as they looked all over for him. One day his family was having a picnic in the woods and they sat down next to Sylvester the rock. As they were eating their lunch, Sylvester's dad found the shiny red pebble and set it down on Sylvester the rock. Sylvester the rock knew his parents were next to him and longed to be back to his normal self. He wished to himself that he would turn back into a donkey and be with his family again. All of a sudden his wish was granted and he turned back into a donkey and reunited with his family. The family locked the shiney red pebble away for later use because with Sylvester home they had all they wanted at that moment.
This book could be used in a classroom if students were talking about family members who have had to go away for a while and how that makes people feel.
It could also be used with students to talk about the different things that people collect. Students could be asked to share collections that they have or be asked to start a collection of things on their own. Maybe it could go along with a unit on rocks and students could be asked to collect different rocks and identify things about them.
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