Sylvester and the Magic Pebble

Fairy tales often feature battles between greed and selflessness: hungry wolf vs. courageous woodsman, cunning stepmother vs. gentle, generous Hansel, evil sisters vs. patient Cinderella.

William Steig creates a variation on a theme, in "Sylvester and the Magic Pebble." Here, the malevolent force is a shiny pebble: It seems to give you everything you wish for, but secretly, it wants to steal your soul. When Sylvester spots a menacing lion, he foolishly (understandably) wishes to become a rock; this wish saves his life, but it also causes him to become paralyzed and mute. He can't "un-transform" himself, because he is now immobile, and he is not in contact with the pebble.

Sylvester's parents are the true heroes. They search tirelessly for Sylvester. Even when they announce they're giving up, they continue thinking about Sylvester, talking about Sylvester. They spot a certain pebble and stash it on a rock ("because Sylvester always loved pebbles").

You can imagine what happens next. What I admire in this book is the sense of conviction, and the twistiness of the story. For many pages, it's unpredictable. Also, the art is stunning. The gold standard.

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