New for 2017: Takeaway Tuesdays! (And a Surprise Giveaway!)
![]()
By Chana Stiefel
Not long ago, my son pulled a book off the shelf at our local library and said, “You gotta read this, Mom.” The book, Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig, is a cherished classic that won a Caldecott Award in 1970. My son’s teacher had read the book in class. It's about a donkey who turns himself into a rock by wishing on a magic pebble. The story left my son—and countless others—with a sense of wonder. Interestingly, at the back of the book, I found something truly wonder-ful. It was William Steig’s Caldecott acceptance speech, in which he says: “Art, including juvenile literature, has the power to make any spot on earth the living center of the universe; . . . it helps us to know life in a way that still keeps before us the mystery of things. It enhances the sense of wonder. And wonder is respect for life. Art also stimulates the adventurousness and the playfulness that keep us moving in a lively way that lead to useful discovery.” Inspiring words from the man who also wrote Shrek!, on which the blockbuster movies are based, as well as Abel's Island and Doctor De Soto, which both won Newbery Honors, as well as dozens of other children's books. (My favorite is still Pete's a Pizza.) And did you know Steig started writing children's books when he was 61? His words reminded me that maintaining and sharing a sense of wonder are the reasons we write for children. The Takeaway: As we begin a new year of writing, let’s try to keep that magical spirit of wonder before us and see where it leads! Wishing everyone a wonder-filled 2017! SURPRISE! Happy 1st Birthday to Us! To celebrate our 1st Birthday, enter to win one of two picture book critiques, one each by Donna Cangelosi and Chana Stiefel (500 words max.)! To enter, click on the Rafflecopter below. Good luck and thanks for reading Kidlittakeaways.com.
53 Comments
Kim Pfennigwerth
1/17/2017 05:36:00 am
Happy First Year Anniversary! And many congratulations! Thank you for your generous giveaway!
Reply
1/17/2017 06:08:06 am
Happy Birthday!! I had just re-read Sylvester and the Magic Pebble. It's one of my favorites. Thanks for the inspiration!
Reply
1/17/2017 06:35:37 am
Love that the speech was included in the book and quite inspiring indeed! Happy 1st Birthday - congrats!
Reply
Manju Howard
1/17/2017 06:56:57 am
Cheers for a year of great posts!
Reply
Lisa Billa
1/17/2017 07:14:44 am
Lovely speech, and one of my favorite stories. Happy birthday!
Reply
Lori Alexander
1/17/2017 07:24:51 am
Happy Birthday! Thanks for the year of insightful posts. Keep up the great work! :)
Reply
1/17/2017 08:29:12 am
Happy Birthday, KitLitTakeAways and thank you for your helpful and generous posts!
Reply
1/17/2017 08:39:03 am
Happy Birthday! Has it really been a whole year already? I LOVE Shrek! So glad you found that bit of Steig's Caldecott speech to share with us
Reply
Jennifer Ali
1/17/2017 08:51:07 am
Congratulations and best wishes for a writerly future!
Reply
1/17/2017 09:38:43 am
Thank you for reminding me about one of my favorite books. I didn't know Steig was 61 when he started writing children's books. Since I'm 59 and have only been writing for about two years, my hope is renewed as well as my magical spirit of wonder thanks to this post.
Reply
1/17/2017 10:04:11 am
Congratulations on your wonderful site!! Here's to many more years of kidlit takeaways posts!!
Reply
1/17/2017 04:28:23 pm
Thanks, dear Ariel. Hoping to feature I HAVE A BALLOON soon!
Reply
Susan Schade
1/17/2017 10:30:35 am
Happy 1st! Thanks for the inspiration!
Reply
1/17/2017 10:34:31 am
Happy Birthday! A great book! Thanks for sharing some of the speech, what a great find!
Reply
1/17/2017 04:29:44 pm
Thanks Rachel. I love finding little gems like that. :)
Reply
Debra Shumaker
1/17/2017 11:17:43 am
Pete's a Pizza. I haven't thought about that book for a long time, but my sons LOVED that book! Happy 1st Anniversary!
Reply
1/17/2017 04:30:29 pm
Right, Debra?! Books like Pete's a Pizza made we want to write picture books.
Reply
Michele
1/17/2017 12:04:34 pm
I loved that book. When I read Shrek I didn't put two and two together to realize it was the same author. I've just requested Pete's a Pizza at the library.
Reply
1/17/2017 04:32:00 pm
Hi Michele, I have to re-read Shrek! I don't think the book and movies are close, but I hope William Steig reaped major royalties. Pete's a Pizza is a giggle maker.
Reply
Martin Segal
1/17/2017 12:52:39 pm
Happy 1st birthday and thank you for your generosity! Sylvester and the Magic Pebble is the first book report I remember doing. I've been meaning to reread it!
Reply
Tracey Brown
1/17/2017 07:06:48 pm
Happy 1st Birthday! I loved Sylvester and the Magic Pebble - thanks for the reminder.
Reply
Vicky Wirkkala
1/17/2017 07:36:39 pm
Congrats one 1 year!! That's so exciting!!
Reply
Cindy Williams Schrauben
1/17/2017 08:32:32 pm
Happy Birthday! Sylvester is one of my all-time favorites.
Reply
1/18/2017 04:51:44 am
What a wonderful book! Yes, stories really do transport us. Happy 1st birthday! Congrats!
Reply
1/18/2017 06:02:32 am
The classic Caldecotts are a hugs gift to be re gifted to each generation!
Reply
1/18/2017 07:31:36 pm
Thank you Robin. Yes, it helps to go back to the classics!
Reply
darlene koppel
1/18/2017 09:52:24 am
Happy Anniversary! Thank you for the inspiration.
Reply
Gabrielle Schoeffield
1/19/2017 03:11:02 am
Very insightful recommendation! I will be checking my library to see if the book is available!
Reply
Emily Johnsen
1/19/2017 08:01:38 pm
Great post! And Happy Birthday!
Reply
Mary Worley
1/23/2017 06:28:29 am
I wasn't aware of that he did Shrek! as well. Adding Pete's a Pizza to my list. Thanks! Happy Birthday.
Reply
Donna Rossman
1/23/2017 03:26:52 pm
Happy Birthday! Very insightful post! I didn't know that William Steig didn't start writing until he was 61. :)
Reply
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorsDonna Cangelosi and Chana Stiefel are picture book critique partners & friends who are passionate about kids' books & are eager to share tidbits from their writing journey with other aspiring writers. SubscribeArchives
July 2020
Categories
All
|