William Steig’s Sylvester and the Magic Pebble: A Golden Anniversary

Description

Sylvester and the Magic Pebble has held a special place in readers’ hearts for 50 years. Contemporary illustrators often cite the book as their greatest childhood influence. The Carle is fortunate to have in its permanent collection Steig’s preliminary sketches, story boards, and dummy books related to the seminal publication, thanks to the generosity of Jeanne Steig who donated over 1,000 artworks by her late husband. The artist’s daughter Maggie Steig is lending the original published illustrations along with her father’s paints, tools, personal family photographs, and his prized Caldecott Medal. The Carle designed a charming tableau vivant of Steig’s picnic scene – including a “Sylvester boulder” – to engage visitors of all ages. This exhibition is made possible through the generous support of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing.