Sylvester and the Magic Pebble

Sylvester and the Magic Pebble , written and illustrated by William Steig, is the winner of the 1970 Caldecott Medal. Sylvester is a donkey and he finds a magic red pebble that grants his wishes. The only trick is that he must be touching it. To protect himself from a lion, Sylvester wishes that he were a rock. He is unable to turn back into himself because he is not touching the rock. For months and months he remains a rock, but he is eventually reunitied with his family. I would use this book in my classroom to talk about wishes. This book relates to the old saying "be careful what you wish for." Today's society wants for so many things, but Sylvester realizes in this book that what he really wants most is what he already has.