Brewer's Book Reviews

  Sylvester and the Magic Pebble (Book Review)   Bibliography.   Steig, William. 2005. Sylvester and the Magic Pebble. Ill. B y Steig, William. New York, NY. S imon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. ISBN 978-1416902065.   Plot/Summary. A young donkey goes out for the day to enjoy himself, and on his adventures, he stumbles across a magical pebble. He hurries home to share this exciting news with his family, but on his way a hungry and angry looking lion begins to approach him. He panics , only thinking of a quick way to save himsel f, and makes a fool-hardy wish  to be turned into a rock. He realizes too late (even though this wish has the intended effect of getting the lion to go away) that he must be holding the pebble to make any wishes and so cannot wish himself back to his donkey form. His parents begin to worry and search continuously for him, but eventually begin to abandon hope as no sign of him appears. The seasons begin to change, and Sylv...

  We Are Water Protectors (Book Review)   Bibliography.     Lindstrom, C arole . 2020. We Are Water Protectors. Ill. By Goade , Michaela . New York, NY: Roaring Books Press. ISBN 978-1250203557   Plot Summary.    A young woman’s grandmother impresses on her the importance of water, not only for their people, but for the earth and all the animals in it. The little girl is determined to take up the good fight to protect the earth’s water supply from an oil pipeline that threatens to poison the natural water resources that are nearest to her. She reminds the reader that her people are proud to be a voice for those who cannot speak for themselves, that they use their drums, and songs and protests to make a stand, and that most importantly water is priceless and must be protected. She claims that water is what connects us all, not only to the space we occupy on the earth, but also to the ancestors of our past.   Critical Analysis.    Th...