Description: Winner of the 1970 Caldecott Medal. Sylvester, a young donkey who loves collecting pebbles, finds a shiny red pebble one day. While carrying it home to show his family, he accidentally wishes himself into a rock and is unable to turn back into a donkey. He remains standing on a hill as a rock. Meanwhile, Sylvester's family searches everywhere for him, unaware of what has happened. His parents even pass right by the rock without realizing it is their son. After a long and sorrowful search, they eventually sit down near the rock and, holding a pebble, make a wish—leading to a touching reunion. Author: William Steig Awards: 1977 Caldecott Medal, 1970 Caldecott Medal, Newbery Medal (translated work), Caldecott Medal (translated work) Recent Works: Gorky Rises, The Amazing Bone, When Everybody Wore a Hat, and 201 other titles About the Author: Born in 1907 into an artistic family in New York, William Steig worked as a cartoonist and children's book illustrator. As a child, he received painting lessons from his older brother Irwin. He studied at the City College of New York and later at the National Academy of Design. Starting in 1930, he contributed cartoons to The New Yorker and Life magazine. After turning sixty, he began writing children's books and quickly gained worldwide acclaim. Sylvester and the Magic Pebble won the Caldecott Medal, while Abel's Island and Doctor De Soto received Newbery Honors. His other works include Dominic, Solomon the Rusty Nail, Brave Irene, and Shrek. He passed away in October 2003. Translator: Lee Sang-kyung Recent Works: 2 titles