Sylvester and the Magic Pebble

Bibliographic Information:

Steig, William. Sylvester and the Magic Pebble. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 1969.  ISBN 0-671-66154-X

Summary:
Sylvester Duncan is a donkey who lives with his mother and father.  His hobby is collecting pebbles that he thinks are unusual in color and shape.  When he finds a bright, shiny red, perfectly round pebble and happens to make a wish that it stop raining while holding it, he discovers his wishes come true when he’s holding that special pebble.  When he encounters a mean, hungry lion and panics, he wishes himself into the form of a large rock so he won’t be eaten.  Trouble is, he then cannot touch the pebble which is necessary to wish himself back to normal.  His parents miss him terribly and searches are conducted high and low with no sign of their dear Sylvester.  As the seasons pass and he remains a rock, the situation seems quite hopeless until, one day, his parents go on a picnic.  Readers will delight in what occurs.

Critical Analysis:

This is a fun book full of wishes and cute animals that most children seem to really love.  It starts out showing much love and happiness within Sylvester’s family and then he seems to hit the proverbial jackpot when he finds the special pebble that grants his wishes.  With his metamorphosis into a rock and his parents’ subsequent unfruitful search for and mourning over him, the book becomes quite sad.  This ends soon enough though and we are treated to a wonderful happy resolution to the story.

Reading book reviews of children who read this story really shows the breadth of subject matter addressed.  There were lots of mentions of them loving all the animal characters (no humans in this book), the wishes/magic Sylvester enjoyed and learned about and especially the happy ending.  It was also funny when the lion couldn’t believe his eyes, swearing he had just seen a donkey, not a rock.  The children seem to come away with the belief that wishes can indeed come true and that always makes for a magical story time. 

One young reviewer said she came away with a better understanding of the importance of thinking before you do something (like wishing oneself into the form of a boulder!)  What a mature lesson to glean from this fairytale-like book.  Perhaps the deepest, most meaningful lesson taken away though is the importance of family.  At the end when they recover both Sylvester and the magic pebble, the family puts the pebble away because, at that moment, “they had all they wanted.”

The illustrations – done by the author himself – are always entertaining.  The use of animals in human roles and the beautiful outside scenes as each season passes really move the narrative along.  The scenes of the happiness and sadness on the parent’s faces are very moving.  The tears and smiles seem so genuine.  With all the depth they have, they are also simply cute and colorful which is very appealing to readers of all ages.

The book has sometimes found itself on banned/challenged lists due to the depiction of pigs as police officers in the book.  I’m not sure if the author intended any kind of double meaning with this but all the usual human roles in the book are filled by animals and those particular characters do nothing besides attempt to help Sylvester’s parents find him.  The merits of the book outweigh any controversy such as this.

Awards: 

Caldecott Medal Winner – 1970

Book Review excerpts:

“’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. How Mother and Father Duncan (donkey), despairing of finding their son, do eventually break the red pebble's spell and bring back Sylvester is a fable of happy families of all breeds.” (Kirkus Reviews, March 1, 1969)

“It is so easy to identify with Sylvester. His 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….Awarded the Caldecott Award Medal in 1970, the story will continue to delight a new generation of children.” - Elizabeth Allen (Children's Literature)

“Once again, William Steig addresses one of childhood's biggest latent fears, abandonment. But his gentle, unerring handling of this issue makes for an endearing story full of pathos and strength. Steig's belief in the magic (mysteries) of life is central to this story, both in creating the anxious situation and relieving it.” – Review by Kevin McCaffrey of CommonSenseMedia.org

Six reviews by readers ages 5 – 8 found here: 

http://www.spaghettibookclub.org/title.php?find=1&title=Sylvester%20and%20the%20Magic%20Pebble

Connections/Further Activites:
*Children could discuss what they would wish for if they found a magic pebble like Sylvester
*Children could discuss their hobbies and what, if anything, they collect or would like to collect
*Children could discuss what they would have done when faced with the lion (besides wishing themselves into rock form!)

Read-alikes and books with which to pair this title:
Novelist has a list of “Must Read Classics for grades K – 2” that includes this title.  The list can be found here:  http://web.ebscohost.com/novpk8/detail?vid=6&sid=078e3c50-cd84-4ca7-a22b-500a8f7b002a%40sessionmgr104&hid=110&bdata=JnNpdGU9bm92cGs4LWxpdmU%3d#db=njh&UI=433697

The Rainbow Tulip

Bibliographic Information:

Mora, Pat.  1999. The Rainbow Tulip. Ill. by Elizabeth Sayles. New York, NY: Viking. 
ISBN  0-670-87291-1.

Summary:
The story’s narrator, Estelita (or Stella), lives with her parents (who speak only Spanish) and her brothers who, like she, are bilingual.  As the story opens, she is preparing for the May parade at her school and needs a dress sewn for the part.  Unlike her classmates, she wants a multi-colored dress – a “rainbow” dress, even though she knows that will make her different from the others.  Stella is a good student and a loving daughter who wishes her mother could speak English so she could communicate with her teacher and the other mothers.  This is a story of the love her family shares as well as the sadness Stella feels about the ways in which her mother is different from those around them.  Ultimately, it is a story of one family’s dignity, quiet pride and shared love of their heritage. 
 

Critical Analysis:

The “Rainbow Tulip” is the story of Estelita/Stella, a young, bilingual Mexican American girl who lives in America with her parents – who speak only Spanish – and her brothers who are also bilingual.  It could be the story of most any child of immigrants as it demonstrates the very authentic struggle often felt between the “old world” of the parents and the “new world” before them in a new country.  Stella and her family only speak Spanish in their home and her mother seems very different from the other children’s mothers.  She has long hair she wears in a bun, she wears no makeup and only wears long, plain, usually dark colored dresses.  Because she cannot speak English, Stella’s mother stands apart from the others – both figuratively and literally – and is a very quiet person.  Like her mother, her father is a quiet man.  A well-read man, he used to be a judge in Mexico and, though he never yells at his children, a stern look can bring them into compliance.  The parents have what we see as very traditional and conservative beliefs and behaviors.

The narrative – told from Stella’s perspective – is very touching and really draws the reader into her world and feelings.  She loves her parents and her heritage but wants to feel not quite so different and wants her mother to fit in better with her language and style.  Readers can feel the pain of her divided mind.  This perhaps comes across so well since it is virtually a true story based on author Pat Mora’s own mother’s childhood growing up in El Paso, Texas in the 1920’s.  Her mother was like young Stella and was able to impart her story and her feelings to her daughter who wrote about it for us readers.

This is probably the main reason that the narrative never gets too heavy-handed.  Very subtly, the author brings out the quiet dignity of Stella’s parents.  You get the feeling that they are good, strong people and loving, involved parents despite the language barrier with others outside of their home.  The children must retain their Spanish language abilities, show respect inside the house and, when the dance is coming up, her mother takes her to have a dress – her “rainbow tulip” dress – tailor made.  These are just a few ways their support and love is demonstrated.

Symbolism in this story can be found in both the rainbow-colored tulip dress and Stella’s beloved lime sherbet.  The dress is very different from the other girls’ dresses which are all single-hued.  The fact that Stella desires to have one that will stand out so much shows the reader something about what she’s made of.  One wants to stand apart from the crowd but it can be difficult to do so sometimes.  Stella’s mother sums up the situation that both the parents and children in the story face when she states that “It is hard to be different.  It is sweet and sour, like your sherbet.” 

The books’ illustrations are soft, pretty pastels that really draw readers into the story.  We see the love in the facial expressions of the characters and the beauty of the rainbow tulip dress as well as the dresses of the other children.  At first, I felt that the drawings should have more vivid, vibrant hues but, in retrospect, I think the fact that they are toned down better fits the mood of the story.  We are used to seeing bright reds and greens in stories of Mexico but we are told that the parents and the house are quiet and Stella herself is probably a quiet child so “quiet colors” probably fit best.

The Mexican/Mexican-American culture is depicted very positively in this book.  The parents are shown as having a quiet, calm dignity and a strength that allowed them to immigrate to a country where they were not fluent in the language perhaps in search of a better life for their children.  The mother still participates though she is unable to discuss Stella with her teachers.  Her support is felt rather than spoken.  The family is typical in many ways of other Mexican-Americans but they never become caricatures or stereotypes.  By hearing the private conversations of Stella and her mother and knowing her father’s background, the characters are fleshed out as whole human beings with thoughts and feelings just like ours.  “This house is a piece of Mexico,” Stella’s father declares and her mother regales her with stories of her ancestors’ proud history.  What a blessing to have both countries and both worlds within one home.

Award Nominations and Book Lists:

Tomas Rivera Mexican American Children’s Book Award Nominee - 1999
ALA Book List - “Growing Up Latino in the U.S.A” - 2004
State of Texas Book List - “Texas Reading Club” - 2004
National Council of Teachers of English - “Kaleidoscope: A Multicultural Booklist for Grades K-8, 4^th Ed.” - 2003

Book Review excerpts:

“Based on a story from the author's mother's childhood, and perfectly extended by soft, warm pastel drawings framed in white, this tale of family love and support crosses cultural boundaries and may remind youngsters of times when their families made all the difference. Pair this with Mary Hoffman's Amazing Grace, another story of an irrepressible child supported by a loving family.” –Library Journal

“Set in El Paso, Texas, this moving family memoir focuses on Mora’s mother as a child who participated in her own way in the May parade...With warmth and directness, Mora celebrates diversity, but provides a balanced view of assimilation as well, Sayles's softly colored illustrations, by turns wistful and vibrant, capture the times and the tone as a young child finds her place in her parents' new country. (Kirkus Reviews, September 1, 1999)

“Tapping into her mother’s childhood memories, Mora has culled a tender portrait of home life and early schooling to bring us a story of young Estelita, who learns at a very early age to negotiate her way through her dual Mexican-American identity...This is a quiet book that speaks volumes to today’s immigrant child.” – Multicultural Review

“The scenarios in words and soft-toned pictures show the warm, loving family and also the fun and success at school. . . . At first, the child is ashamed of her quiet, old-fashioned mother, but her parents keep a piece of Mexico at home, and Stella comes to value her dual heritage, even though it is hard to be different.” – Booklist
 

E. Connections/Further Activites:

From the author’s official website:
http://www.patmora.com/ideas.htm#tulip

*Explore the value of oral history with students. For resources visit the teacher section at American Memory at http://memory.loc.gov/ammem

*After discussing the value of oral histories and teaching basic interview techniques, ask students to interview a family member and create an artistic response: a story, play, poem, dance, collage, etc.

*Given the many kinds of families, students can design their own symbol (which need not be the standard family tree) to illustrate their connections to the special people in their lives, those who constitute their family.

*Students can take photographs (or draw) their families and neighborhoods and create their own books. Some students could even create a video.

*Students could role play a scene about the discomfort of feeling different.

Read-alikes and books with which to pair this title:

Chavarría-Cháirez, Becky.  2000.  Magda's tortillas = Las tortillas de Magda.  Ill. By Anne Vega ; Spanish translation by Mercedes Castilla, Julia.  Houston, TX : Pinata Books.  ISBN  1558852867.

Soto, Gary.  1997.  Snapshots from the wedding.  Ill. by Stephanie Garcia.  New York, NY:  G.P. Putnam’s.  039922808X.

Tafolla, Carmen.  2008.  What can you do with a rebozo? Ill. by Amy Cordiva.  Berkeley, CA :  Tricycle Press.  ISBN 9781582462202.

Pair this with Mary Hoffman's Amazing Grace (Dial, 1991), another story of an irrepressible child supported by a loving family.-Ann Welton, Terminal Park Elementary School, Auburn, WA Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

Grandpa Green

Bibliographic Information:

Smith, Lane.  2011. Grandpa Green.  Ill. by Lane Smith. New York, NY: Roaring Brook Press.  ISBN  978-1-59643-607-7.

Summary:
Narrated by a young boy, this is the story of his great-grandfather who, we learn, grew up on a farm, read a lot as child and, after school, wished to study horticulture.  He was instead sent off to fight in the war.  He met his wife-to-be, they married and had many children and grand-children.  As the grandfather gets older and more forgetful, he is sure to remember all the really “important” things by memorializing them in his topiary garden which his grandson greatly admires.

Critical Analysis:

It is clear that the young boy narrating the story loves his Grandpa Green very much.  He is very aware of his forgetfulness and unobtrusively gathers his lost things to collect and bring to him.  In spite of this possible shortcoming in his Grandpa, the narrator seems to be in awe of his life and all that he has done.  The story is never a sermon though.  It subtly demonstrates the importance of having and showing respect for our elders by gently assisting them when needed and, more importantly, by valuing their life’s experiences.

The setting – Grandpa Green’s topiary garden – is essential to the story as the entire narrative unfolds in and around it.  At story’s end, we are treated to a fold-out that shows the entire garden and we see all the images we’ve viewed throughout the book gathered together.  The fact that nearly all the illustrations in the book are green-hued ties in nicely with the setting and even with Grandpa’s name (Grandpa Green).  The sparse use of other colors and the rationed use of red (on the berries which double as chickenpox bumps and a hair bow, for instance) really stands out when it appears due to this.  The illustrations are very interesting as one thing can become another as each page turns.  A baby’s tears becomes a garden hose spray of water and a simple shrub turns into a war cannon with a flying cannonball that narrowly misses our narrator!

The narrative, plot and setting all appear, at first glance, to be simple ones but, by story’s end, many deep layers are subtly revealed.  We see the deep love between great grandson and his great grandfather, the amazing value and respect shared between them and the importance of our life’s history.  We get the feeling that when Grandpa Green is unable to carry on creating in his garden that his loving grandson will take up his mantle.  It’s a touching story that stays with the reader long after closing the book.

Awards:

From the author’s website:  http://www.lanesmithbooks.com/LaneSmithBooks/Lane_Smith_Books.html

A CALDECOTT HONOR BOOK

A New York Times BEST ILLUSTRATED BOOK
A Publishers Weekly BEST CHILDREN’S BOOK
SILVER MEDAL Society of Illustrators
An Amazon BEST BOOK
Kansas City Star TOP 100 BOOKS
A Barnes & Noble BEST BOOK
A SLJ BEST BOOK
Seven Impossible Things TOP TEN
A Time Out New York Kids BEST BOOK
JUNIOR LIBRARY GUILD SELECTION

Book Review excerpts:

From the author’s website:
http://www.lanesmithbooks.com/LaneSmithBooks/Lane_Smith_Books.html

“A clever premise, brilliant pacing, and whimsical illustrations offer a distinctive look at the life and artistic vision of one great-grandfather." - School Library Journal

“An unassuming little masterpiece...” - Bruce Handy, New York Times Book Review

“Lush and magical.” - People Magazine

“The perfect book to help kids understand old age.” -Booklist

“Readers who slow down will be rewarded by this visual feast that grows richer with each visit.Though this book has lots of adult appeal, it will also be a wonderful bridge to exploring family history with the very young.” - Kirkus Reviews

“In what may well be his greatest achievement thus far, Caldecott Honor artist Lane Smith introduces Grandpa Green and the garden that tells his heart-tugging story.” - Shelf Awareness
 

Some read-alikes from NoveList for further reading:

Little Mama forgets – Robin Cruise

Reason:  Two picture books show the loving relationship between a child and a grandparent who has a vanishing mind. While both have appealing rhythms, Little Mama is vigorous and boldly-colored, and Grandpa Green, poetic with soft and varied shades of green. -- Julie Corsaro

My little grandmother often forgets – Reeve Lindbergh
Reason:  Each of these understated yet sweetly poignant picture books presents a boy's tender ode to a grandparent whose memory is slipping. -- Ellen Foreman

Dream something big – Dianna Hutts Aston

Reason:  Both of these picture books are lyrical, first-person narratives (each from a child's point of view) that tell the story of a unique adult whose creativity is a lasting remembrance. -- Beth Gerall

The animal hedge – Paul Fleischman

Reason:  Family, loss, and lives well-lived are common themes in these warm, affecting picture books that have revealing topiary! Whereas the artwork is playful and spare in Grandpa Green, it is in the full-bodied folk art tradition in The Animal Hedge. -- Julie Corsaro