Sylvester turned into a rock
Will I ever see my beloved family again?

Caldecott Medal winner!
Selected as one of the American Teachers Association's '100 Recommended Children's Books'!

ㆍPure joy fills the pages, with wit and humor elaborately crafted by Steig.

An undisputed masterpiece of the century! - Maurice Sendak

ㆍCheerful, affectionate, innocent, sometimes foolish, but profound.

A perfect picture book that encapsulates everything one person could ever want.
- William Joyce

The classic picture book, Sylvester and the Magic Pebble, which won William Steig, a century-old storyteller and master of children's picture books, his first Caldecott Medal, has been published by Biryongso Co., Ltd.
William Steig won the Caldecott Medal in 1970 for this work, and it was honored as one of the "100 Recommended Children's Books" recommended by the National Education Association (NEA).
It also received rave reviews from famous picture book authors such as Maurice Sendak, William Joyce, and Ian Faulkner.
"Sylvester and the Magic Pebble" is a story about a little donkey named Sylvester who picks up a magic pebble that grants wishes.
Before Sylvester can even properly use the magic pebble that grants him whatever he wishes, a large lion appears before him.
Then Sylvester is so scared that he almost faints, and without any other option, he prays to the magic pebble to 'turn him into a rock'.
Sylvester, who lives with a body made of rock, rain or shine.
Will Sylvester be able to return as a donkey and reunite with his beloved family?

■ Transformation! The unique pleasure of becoming something other than yourself.
William Steig often used 'Metamorphosis' as a subject for his picture books.
Transformation, it's a word that everyone has probably shouted out at least once when they were young.
Everyone fantasizes about transformation, but children are more easily excited by the word than adults.
Children enjoy imagining themselves as something other than themselves, and they act as if they are already something.
No makeup props or name tags are needed.
Children are ready to transform into different forms anytime, anywhere.
Just shout, “I am a robot from now on!” “Ah! I am a tiger!”
There are endless materials to transform into, so you can never get bored of playing with transformations.
Why do children enjoy pretend play? Perhaps it's the catharsis of that fleeting moment of being someone other than themselves.
You can become a hero and defeat villains as you wish, or you can become a doctor and treat patients.

■ Find your true self and return to the arms of your loving family.
『Sylvester and the Magic Pebble』 also deals with transformation.
Sylvester, a little donkey, was playing by the stream when he accidentally picked up a magic pebble that grants wishes.
On his way home to show off his pebble to his parents, he suddenly encounters a huge lion.
A frightened Sylvester makes a wish to be turned into a rock, and in the blink of an eye, he turns into a rock.
Sylvester, who has no choice but to live as a rock, is overcome with sadness, but decides to become accustomed to the rock and falls into a deep sleep.
In this way, William Steig does not use transformation only as a device for play.
In this picture book, transformation is more than just a simple game; it is an act of losing one's true self, which one must protect.
Therefore, the importance of ‘restoration to original state’, which is returning to one’s original state naturally, is highlighted.
Because I realize how beautiful I am just the way I am and how precious the things I can protect while I am myself are.
After a long time, when Mom and Dad happened to sit on Sylvester (the rock), “I want to be me again.
That scene where Sylvester thinks, “I really, really want to go back to my original self!” is so awesome.
Sylvester returns as a donkey and shares the joy of reunion with his beloved family, hugging, kissing, and dancing.
Of course, the transformation play is safe because I can return to myself whenever I want.
But what if technology advances so dramatically that we're given the opportunity to transform into something truly different? Then, let's heed the lessons of this book and seriously consider them.
Like Sylvester, who is hugged by his family and has a calm expression on his face, what I have now may be all I need.

■ A painting vividly filled with diverse emotions
William Steig's paintings, filled with watercolors and bold, sweeping lines, appear unadorned yet cozy and warm, making them accessible to everyone.
But there is something unique about William Steig's paintings: they feel like they are actually alive.
Each scene conveys a different emotion, regardless of the character's expression or background description.
It's as if you're talking to the person who's watching.
For example, if you follow the flow of scenes such as Sylvester looking at the magic pebble with a curious expression, the lion glaring at Sylvester with a fierce expression, and Sylvester being terrified in front of the lion, anyone can fully empathize with Sylvester's ups and downs in emotions.
Also, Sylvester (rock) is still the same, but as the seasons change, leaves fall, snow piles up, and flowers bloom, it feels truly lonely, as if time has passed.
But the best part of this picture book is Sylvester's mom and dad.
Mom and Dad are devastated by the loss of their son Sylvester and lose their reason to live.
The heart that misses Sylvester so much and doesn't know what to do is vividly expressed in the image of the parents dropping the fabric they were knitting or leaning over the table with their faces down, touching the hearts of the viewers.