Mr. G's Book Selection

The book that I chose is called Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig. This is considered a folktale or mythological in nature. Growing up as kid, I loved reading this book because I would imagine what I would do if I found a magic pebble.  The possibilities seemed endless.  Students of all ages can let their imagination run wild as they engage in a book that seems simplistic but tackles a variety of issues. Through its fantastical plot and challenges that Sylvester faces, the book leaves the reader with a sense of hope in the midst of despair and a great appreciation for what money cannot buy. The importance of the family  and true gratitude for all the blessings you do have in life is a timeless truth that even we as adults are in need of remembering.  The book is geared for prek- 2^nd grade.  However, its lessons  are appropriate for students of all ages.  A brief synopsis of the book is as follows: Sylvester the donkey finds a magic pebble and unthinkingly wishes himself a rock when frightened by a lion. Although safe from the lion, Sylvester cannot hold the pebble to wish himself into a donkey again. On a 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 turns him into a rock. Sylvester is eventually reunited with his family and restored to his true self. 

The themes presented in the book are truly cross-cultural and essential to any child, regardless of his background or family dynamic.  The main theme is the theme of family.  Throughout the book, the author constantly reminds the reader the importance of family over possessions.  Through giving a glimpse of the Duncan’s yearning for Sylvester, and Sylvester’s undying desire to be reunited with his family, the reader learns that being with your family far outweighs any riches you can get. Other pivotal themes include patience( both Sylvester’s and his parents’) and hope.  It reinforces the idea of never giving up.  Sylvester and his parents always had the sense of expectancy that something was going to happen and he would re-appear.  This theme is a desperate universal message that our students need to grasp.  Guiding questions that I would include would be stopping the book in the middle of the plot and asking what the outcome of the book would be, given what we already know? Also, I would lead a discussion on the author’s message of the book and see if the students grasp the morale of the story.  I would guide them into synthesizing what patience, courage, hope looks like in real life.  We would open a dialogue as to how a person can have hope when all appears to be going wrong.  A question I would use is, “In which ways would the Duncan’s life be changed if Sylvester could never be found? Why do you think these changes would happen?

Extensions for such a book are numerous. The one that I would start off with would be, “If you were Sylvester and you saw a lion coming, how would you have used the magic pebble to help you?”  This would not only engage the student but cause him to think critically about what was read and create a solution based on the book. Other ideas would include write about a world in which you can get all that money can buy, would this bring you true happiness?  Define happiness as you understand it.  We would have 2 groups. One that would argue that money is the cause of happiness and the other group would argue that true contentment does not rely solely on money, but on the idea of being with loved ones (family).