In a story recounted through the daily log of Captain Allan Hope, the sailors aboard the Rita Anne become mesmerized and transformed by a mysterious glowing rock, and only music and books can restore them to normal.
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Book Description
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Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
A captain's log records the puzzling transformation of his ship's sailors after a glowing rock from an uncharted island is brought aboard. They turn into apes, insensate to the captain's orders and "fascinated by the rock." A storm nearly scuttles the ship but also breaks the stone's hold over the men, who return to normal--except for an inordinate fondness for bananas. Once again, Van Allsburg voyages into an unknown territory that is mystical and eerie--though his somewhat overblown prose substitutes unsettling obfuscation for dramatic storytelling. His sharp-edged, ultra-realistic paintings are a marvel in their own right, from the otherworldly luminiscence of the ominous island to the deep indigos used to create the stillness of the ship and sea by night to oddly angled, even dizzying perspectives of the ship's hold and mast. All ages.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library Journal
Grade 2-4-- Van Allsburg's latest offering may be seen as preachy or provocative, allegorical or obvious, but like much of his previous work, it is bound to attract attention and stimulate discussion. Written in the form of a ship's log, the book outlines the unusual events that take place aboard the Rita Anne after the discovery of a glowing stone on a mysterious, deserted island. In a few brief entries, Captain Randall Ethan Hope notes his initial pleasure in the cultured and convivial crew, details the finding of the luminous stone, and divulges its terrible transformative effect--his shipmates have been turned into primates. When a sudden storm blows up, the Captain expects the worst. However, the ship survives long enough for the men to be rehabilitated and subsequently rescued. The stone is sent to the bottom of the sea by Captain Hope and all on board swear themselves to secrecy. The dramatic illustrations increase the suspense and surprise inherent in the unlikely adventures described. Visual humor, although used sparingly, also adds to the appeal of the colorful paintings. While this picture book could be read merely as an exotic ocean adventure, literacy advocates and fans of book discussions will enjoy ruminating over the symbolism of the mysterious glowing stone and arguing over the interpretation of Van Allsburg's oblique message. --Lisa Dennis, The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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More About the Author
Chris Van Allsburg is the winner of two Caldecott Medals, for Jumanji and The Polar Express, as well as the recipient of a Caldecott Honor Book for The Garden of Abdul Gasazi. The author and illustrator of numerous picture books for children, he has also been awarded the Regina Medal for lifetime achievement in children's literature. In 1982, Jumanji won the National Book Award and in 1996, it was made into a popular feature film. Chris Van Allsburg was formerly an instructor at the Rhode Island School of Design. He lives in Rhode Island with his wife and two children.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Blinded and De-minded by the glowing light,
By Arline Curtiss (California) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Wretched Stone (Hardcover)
Even my eight-year-old grandchild got the message of this wonderful allegory. The Wretched Stone is an important story with a message-- a great reminder lesson for children and adults alike, about the dangers of watching too much television. It's so easy to slide into the passive oblivion in front of the tube. We need to tear ourselves and our children away from the "glowing orb."
The sailors on the ship became captive to a glowing stone that said nothing. Anything like that around your house?
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great ammunition against TV!,
By
This review is from: The Wretched Stone (Hardcover)
If you have trouble getting your kids to turn off the tv...here is a wonderful adventure book to show the kids how too much television viewing can turn you into an "ape"! Filled with metaphors for older children (8 and up) to figure out: Could the strange island where they found the wretched stone once have been inhabited with intelligent life? Perhaps all that is left (after pollution, technology) is unedible vegetation, undrinkable water, stinky odors--but the "stone" remains,("rough textured, gray with portion that is flat and smooth as glass,"), sound like a tv? How about the lightning that knocks out the "power" of the stone/tv? And I love the part where..."It seems that those who knew how to READ recovered more quickly."
Another recommended "anti-tv" book for kids: "Fred's TV" by, Clive Dobson.(may be out of print, but can still get in online!)
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great teaching tool,
This review is from: The Wretched Stone (Hardcover)
I love Chris Van Allsburg books, I want to own all of them! this book was especially good to teach my student how to infer, they had fun collecting the clues the authro gives and then inferring what the wretched stone was. It was a good reading lesson, they loved it and I do too.
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
We finished bringing supplies aboard early this morning. Read the first page New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
We finished bringing supplies aboard early this morning. Read the first page New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
25
books
cite this book:
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- Moving Forward With Literature Circles: How to Plan, Manage, and Evaluate Literature Circles to Deepen Understanding and Foster a Love of Reading (Theory and practice) by Jeni Pollack Day on 4 pages
- Becoming a Literacy Leader: Supporting Learning and Change by Jennifer Allen in Back Matter (1), Back Matter (2), and Back Matter (3)
- I Read It, but I Don't Get It: Comprehension Strategies for Adolescent Readers by Cris Tovani on page 104, and Back Matter
- Reading Contemporary Picturebooks: Picturing Text by David Lewis in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- Reading Contemporary Picturebooks: Picturing Text by David Lewis in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
See all 25 books citing this book
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