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The Wretched Stone: An Illustrated Adventure About Transformation, Magic, and Sailors for Kids
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.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1991
13 people are currently reading
551 people want to read
About the author
Chris Van Allsburg
56 books1,129 followersChris was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan on June 18, 1949, the second child of Doris Christiansen Van Allsburg and Richard Van Allsburg. His sister Karen was born in 1947.
Chris’s paternal grandfather, Peter, owned and operated a creamery, a place where milk was turned into butter, cream, cottage cheese, and ice cream. It was named East End Creamery and after they bottled the milk (and made the other products) they delivered it to homes all around Grand Rapids in yellow and blue trucks.
When Chris was born, his family lived in an old farm house next door to the large brick creamery building. It was a very old house that, like the little house in Virginia Lee Burton’s story, had once looked over farmland. But by 1949, the house was surrounded by buildings and other houses. Chris’s father ran the dairy with Chris’s three uncles after his grandfather Peter retired.
When Chris was three years old, his family moved to a new house at the edge of Grand Rapids that was part of a development; a kind of planned neighborhood, that was still being built.
There remained many open fields and streams and ponds where a boy could catch minnows and frogs, or see a firefly at night. It was about a mile and a half to Breton Downs School, which Chris walked to every day and attended until 6th grade, when the Van Allsburg family moved again.
The next house they lived in was an old brick Tudor Style house in East Grand Rapids. It was a street that looked like the street on the cover of The Polar Express. The houses were all set back the same distance from the street. Between the street and the sidewalk grew enormous Elm trees whose branches reached up and touched the branches of the trees on the other side of the street. Chris moved to this street with his mom, dad, sister, and two Siamese cats. One named Fafner and the other name Eloise.
Chris went to junior and senior high school in East Grand Rapids. He didn’t take art classes during this time. His interests and talents seemed to be more in the area of math and science.
Chris’s paternal grandfather, Peter, owned and operated a creamery, a place where milk was turned into butter, cream, cottage cheese, and ice cream. It was named East End Creamery and after they bottled the milk (and made the other products) they delivered it to homes all around Grand Rapids in yellow and blue trucks.
When Chris was born, his family lived in an old farm house next door to the large brick creamery building. It was a very old house that, like the little house in Virginia Lee Burton’s story, had once looked over farmland. But by 1949, the house was surrounded by buildings and other houses. Chris’s father ran the dairy with Chris’s three uncles after his grandfather Peter retired.
When Chris was three years old, his family moved to a new house at the edge of Grand Rapids that was part of a development; a kind of planned neighborhood, that was still being built.
There remained many open fields and streams and ponds where a boy could catch minnows and frogs, or see a firefly at night. It was about a mile and a half to Breton Downs School, which Chris walked to every day and attended until 6th grade, when the Van Allsburg family moved again.
The next house they lived in was an old brick Tudor Style house in East Grand Rapids. It was a street that looked like the street on the cover of The Polar Express. The houses were all set back the same distance from the street. Between the street and the sidewalk grew enormous Elm trees whose branches reached up and touched the branches of the trees on the other side of the street. Chris moved to this street with his mom, dad, sister, and two Siamese cats. One named Fafner and the other name Eloise.
Chris went to junior and senior high school in East Grand Rapids. He didn’t take art classes during this time. His interests and talents seemed to be more in the area of math and science.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 231 reviews
November 17, 2019
Chris is so talented. The artwork is a huge canvas here. Both pages are used for one picture to show a vast expanse. It really is very beautiful. A boat or ship is at sea with it’s happy crew. They sing, dance and tell stories until… they find a mysterious island not on any charts. There is no usable food or water, but there is an unusual large stone. It looks like glass and very different than people are used to. The stone is brought onboard the ship and strange things begin to happen.
This is actually quite a scary story. It could be an episode of the Twilight Zone. It is a pretty good story for children. It all turns out right in the end.
The nephew said this story gave him goose bumps. He got a bit nervous in the middle of the story and had to sit in my lap. He didn’t now if it would turn out alright. He did think this was a great story. He loved that spine tingle. He gave this 5 stars. He told the niece she has to read it too.
This is actually quite a scary story. It could be an episode of the Twilight Zone. It is a pretty good story for children. It all turns out right in the end.
The nephew said this story gave him goose bumps. He got a bit nervous in the middle of the story and had to sit in my lap. He didn’t now if it would turn out alright. He did think this was a great story. He loved that spine tingle. He gave this 5 stars. He told the niece she has to read it too.
December 7, 2014
A wonderful allegory about the dangers of television for children. Adults can learn something from reading it as well.
February 4, 2019
On a brief visit to a mysterious island, the crew of the Rita Anne discovers a large glowing rock that is quite beautiful and pleasing to look at. They bring it on board the ship, and soon, the sailors are transfixed - they can't stop binge-watching the darned thing! Before long, they seem to have transformed, and become . . . more primitive.
How can the captain tear them away from this shiny entertainment, and get them interested in music and reading again?
Yeah, yeah - there's nothing like being hit over the head with a MESSAGE, but I liked this one anyway, and I'm betting kids will too.
How can the captain tear them away from this shiny entertainment, and get them interested in music and reading again?
Yeah, yeah - there's nothing like being hit over the head with a MESSAGE, but I liked this one anyway, and I'm betting kids will too.
August 26, 2012
The Wretched Stone is an interesting, somewhat spooky picture book. It is narrated by a sailor via his personal diary. He and his crew are sailing in the ocean, and they come across an uncharted island. This island bears no fruit, no drinkable water, and no life whatsoever, but they do find a curious, glowing stone and bring it aboard the ship. The narrator finds that his once lively, fun crew who used to read, tell stories, and dance are now too absorbed in this strange stone to do anything but gaze at it all day. After a failed attempt to throw the stone overbard, the crew members slowly start to turn into apes! Without knowing what to do, the narrator reads to the crew, and they slowly transform back until they are fully human again. Strangely, they still have an appetite for a special fruit that is found on their island...
I think that this "glowing stone" is supposed to represent (or even be) a TV, and the author is portraying his ideas of what will happen to society if we stop reading and get too consumed in television or the media.
This was a very insightful, thought-provoking book that I enjoyed reading!
I think that this "glowing stone" is supposed to represent (or even be) a TV, and the author is portraying his ideas of what will happen to society if we stop reading and get too consumed in television or the media.
This was a very insightful, thought-provoking book that I enjoyed reading!
August 30, 2016
Happening upon an uncharted island, a ship's crew discovers and removes a strange, glowing stone. Soon all but the Captain are in thrall to its light. Can he save his men from their subhuman state?
January 23, 2015
We really liked this book. My daughter pointed out that the glowing stone could easily be electronics. I'm really enjoying how my young daughter is figuring out different meanings in the books we are reading and applying them to her life. Chris Van Allsburg is a wonderful writer that helps make kids think more deeply about the world.
August 21, 2020
Creepy, creative, and fascinating!
August 11, 2010
Wow. This is a very strange story, but strange in an altogether positive way. Though working with the full spectrum of color in his artwork instead of sticking to his traditional black-and-white palate, Chris Van Allsburg has retained the intangible element of darkness that always somehow permeates his drawings. The story of the sailing crew that finds the title stone is an eerie one, frightening at times, and Chris Van Allsburg makes it all very real by the dimensional quality of his illustrations.
A cheerful sailing crew on an ocean vessel seems content on their voyage; that is, until they find a mysterious, extremely heavy, beautiful stone on an island, and carry it aboard their ship. Before long this stone seems to have a drastic affect on the crew's morale, and by the time the captain realizes how deep the danger runs, the ship, its mission, and every one of its occupants are in grave danger. Can anything short of a miracle save the crew?
Told through captain's log entries that grow increasingly desperate with every turn of the page, The Wretched Stone is a story with undeniable power. Once again Chris Van Allsburg has successfully defied the limits of picture book literature and created a work of art that stands above most of its peers. I would give two and a half stars to this book.
A cheerful sailing crew on an ocean vessel seems content on their voyage; that is, until they find a mysterious, extremely heavy, beautiful stone on an island, and carry it aboard their ship. Before long this stone seems to have a drastic affect on the crew's morale, and by the time the captain realizes how deep the danger runs, the ship, its mission, and every one of its occupants are in grave danger. Can anything short of a miracle save the crew?
Told through captain's log entries that grow increasingly desperate with every turn of the page, The Wretched Stone is a story with undeniable power. Once again Chris Van Allsburg has successfully defied the limits of picture book literature and created a work of art that stands above most of its peers. I would give two and a half stars to this book.
October 23, 2009
Summary: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.
Genre: mystery, legend, fiction
Reading Level: The level of this book is clearly fluent because there are multiple paragraphs on each page with smaller font and little space between the letters. There are complex sentences and a variety of words. There are difficult spelling patterns of multi-syllable words such as apparently, extraordinary, vegetation, and approximately.
Topic: mysterious rock, negative effects of television, sailing, working together for progress
Curriculum Uses: I would use this as a read aloud to support a lesson based on the negative effects of television. I would also use this as an independent reading book or for a guided reading group based on adding mystery into their writing.
Literary Elements: The elements used in this book include exposition, foreshadowing, inciting force, conflict, climax, and resolution. The conflict is man vs. nature, man vs. society, and man vs. man. There is also symbolism in that the stone represents a television.
Social Issues: harmful effects of television
Illustrations and Text: The illustrations in this book help the reader to solve the mystery of what the wretched stone is, but they do not completely support the text in the book. Fluent readers do not need that kind of support however, so I think that the illustrations support the problem solving that needs to be done. Overall, I think that the illustrations are not as visually stimulating as other books because of the warm colors used, but I think that the illustrations are a good reference.
Genre: mystery, legend, fiction
Reading Level: The level of this book is clearly fluent because there are multiple paragraphs on each page with smaller font and little space between the letters. There are complex sentences and a variety of words. There are difficult spelling patterns of multi-syllable words such as apparently, extraordinary, vegetation, and approximately.
Topic: mysterious rock, negative effects of television, sailing, working together for progress
Curriculum Uses: I would use this as a read aloud to support a lesson based on the negative effects of television. I would also use this as an independent reading book or for a guided reading group based on adding mystery into their writing.
Literary Elements: The elements used in this book include exposition, foreshadowing, inciting force, conflict, climax, and resolution. The conflict is man vs. nature, man vs. society, and man vs. man. There is also symbolism in that the stone represents a television.
Social Issues: harmful effects of television
Illustrations and Text: The illustrations in this book help the reader to solve the mystery of what the wretched stone is, but they do not completely support the text in the book. Fluent readers do not need that kind of support however, so I think that the illustrations support the problem solving that needs to be done. Overall, I think that the illustrations are not as visually stimulating as other books because of the warm colors used, but I think that the illustrations are a good reference.
October 16, 2015
The Wretched Stone brings us a captain's log from the Rita Anne. The ship lands upon an unknown island with lacking typical vegetation and life. The crew takes a mysterious, glowing stone aboard. The stone soon entrances the sailors, eventually turning them into monkeys! When a storm appears, can the captain save the day or will the Rita Anne sink?
The full-color, painted illustrations are broken apart by white framing, even when the illustrations fit together. It has a creepy atmosphere from the tone, especially since it's told in small bits from the log that are only from the captain's perspective. It has a great message about not watching too much tv, but that even if you do reading can save the day!
The full-color, painted illustrations are broken apart by white framing, even when the illustrations fit together. It has a creepy atmosphere from the tone, especially since it's told in small bits from the log that are only from the captain's perspective. It has a great message about not watching too much tv, but that even if you do reading can save the day!
June 6, 2015
Title: The Wretched Stone
Author: Chris Van Allsburg
Illustrator: Chris Van Allsburg
Publisher/Date: HMH/ 10/28/1991
Pages/Format: 32/ Hardcover
ISBN: 9780395533079
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.
Told though log entries, Captain Allan Hope tells a very vivid and colorful tale of a strange island with bitter waters and a rock with a rough texture and glowing light.
The log entries start off as any Captain's log would, speaking of the crew being in good spirits and spotting land. As time progresses the trip to land or the island they discovered proves to be the curse of the voyage. After bringing a large gray rock on board most of the crew has become fascinated by it. Most spend all their time gazing in silence at the peculiar light that comes off of it when not needed on deck.
As more time goes on, the Captain seems to lose all control of his crew and finds taking care of the ship is impossible. Not only does he have to try and keep the ship from capsizing in a storm but keep it on point which he has no choice but leave to chance. After the storm passes he goes to see his crew and break down the door that they have locked themselves behind if he must, when he comes face to face with men sized monkeys dressed in the uniforms of the crew. Upon realizing this the Captain at once blames the stone and tries to make the crew see reason that the stone must go. After throwing it over board himself, the crew seems lost and sad. The Captain begins to nurse them back to their former selves through reading and playing the violin, which eventually works. Once all the crew are back to normal they find land and vow to never tell of what happened on the ship to anyone.
Beautifully illustrated, reminding me of several points from Jumanji, The Wretched Stone is a must add to any one's library. For true fans of Chris Van Allsburg work this is a masterpiece that should not be forgotten.
originally posted: http://tiffanyfoxbooks.blogspot.com/2...
Author: Chris Van Allsburg
Illustrator: Chris Van Allsburg
Publisher/Date: HMH/ 10/28/1991
Pages/Format: 32/ Hardcover
ISBN: 9780395533079
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.
Told though log entries, Captain Allan Hope tells a very vivid and colorful tale of a strange island with bitter waters and a rock with a rough texture and glowing light.
The log entries start off as any Captain's log would, speaking of the crew being in good spirits and spotting land. As time progresses the trip to land or the island they discovered proves to be the curse of the voyage. After bringing a large gray rock on board most of the crew has become fascinated by it. Most spend all their time gazing in silence at the peculiar light that comes off of it when not needed on deck.
As more time goes on, the Captain seems to lose all control of his crew and finds taking care of the ship is impossible. Not only does he have to try and keep the ship from capsizing in a storm but keep it on point which he has no choice but leave to chance. After the storm passes he goes to see his crew and break down the door that they have locked themselves behind if he must, when he comes face to face with men sized monkeys dressed in the uniforms of the crew. Upon realizing this the Captain at once blames the stone and tries to make the crew see reason that the stone must go. After throwing it over board himself, the crew seems lost and sad. The Captain begins to nurse them back to their former selves through reading and playing the violin, which eventually works. Once all the crew are back to normal they find land and vow to never tell of what happened on the ship to anyone.
Beautifully illustrated, reminding me of several points from Jumanji, The Wretched Stone is a must add to any one's library. For true fans of Chris Van Allsburg work this is a masterpiece that should not be forgotten.
originally posted: http://tiffanyfoxbooks.blogspot.com/2...
September 3, 2014
This book is almost like a journal, a sailor on board a ship writes entries of his daily life on the ship with the crew. The ship sets sail out to the sea just fine until the crew runs low on food and pull ashore a small island. No food was found and the water was too bitter to drink. An interesting object was found and brought aboard the ship. A two feet flat rock that took six strong men to carry onto the ship! Strangely, a almost hypnotizing rock attracted the sailors. They surrounded the rock daily and soon they all turn into hair creatures! The journalist tries to get their attention away from the rock but nothing he does works so he tries to take control of the ship alone through a tough storm! To me, that was the climax of the story. The journalist was left alone with apes on board, leaving him alone to go through the storm. You wouldn't know what to expect next, whether the rest of the human would change back to humans or not. If you were reading this story to elementary kids, that would be a question to ask them. The pictures in the book aren't really detailed. The journal entries recorded were the main focus on each page so all the images seemed to be zoomed in. The book to me wasn't all that interesting because everything was kept simple. The text was plain and the images had solid colors but were one big picture. The dates put in the book did help to know how long they were out on sea and how long the sailors were turned into apes. They were out on sea for about a good nine weeks before help showed up! Just in time the sailors all turned back into humans but had an appetite for bananas haha! Which I found funny.
September 13, 2011
The Wretched Stone by Chris Van Allsburg sort of has the same theme going on when comparing it to “The Stranger”. His stories are definitely different than the average picture book. I do enjoy that Allsburg isn’t afraid to write such diverse stories when it comes to writing about fantasy and where our imagination as readers can take us. I thought it was interesting that he picked a rock to have such power to change the ship crew into monkeys. By looking at the pictures the monkeys looked scary and possessed. Then when I read that they changed back into humans I felt a little better but I thought it was funny how he ended it with someone crew members have a serious liking to the fruit that was brought to them which was a banana. I like that throughout the story you get an emotion that it seems really serious, the crew is in danger and then weird things start happening. After all that everything turns out to be okay and there is a little humor at the end. I didn’t expect it to end that way and I didn’t expect the characters to turn into monkeys.
Again, I love the pictures though. I love the use of colors because they compliment the story really well and get your brain thinking in another world. I also like how the story was told through journal entries. I haven’t read a lot of picture books through journal entries but I feel like it made the story more realistic because you were reading about someone else’ thoughts.
Again, I love the pictures though. I love the use of colors because they compliment the story really well and get your brain thinking in another world. I also like how the story was told through journal entries. I haven’t read a lot of picture books through journal entries but I feel like it made the story more realistic because you were reading about someone else’ thoughts.
September 2, 2015
Chris Van Allsburg takes readers on another one of his infamous, imaginative rides in this book that speaks to all generations. The story is written in diary form which really makes the reader connect to the story right off the bat. We are introduced to a character who is aboard a ship on an exploratory voyage and speaks of their discovery of an interesting island. The character speaking goes on to explain some peculiar things that are beginning to happen to his once vibrant and educated crew. The story takes a turn for the worst until the character steps in to create a change.
This story went about teaching a great lesson in a very understated, disguised manner. You can always rely on the simple yet outstanding illustrations of Chris Van Allsburg, and this book was no different. The scale that he creates his images on is very pleasing to look at and never feels too overwhelming. I also enjoyed the story being told from the point of view of one person writing in their personal diary. I felt sadness when the character felt sadness and I also felt joy when the characters felt joy. Overall, another great story to add to the Van Allsburg collection.
This story went about teaching a great lesson in a very understated, disguised manner. You can always rely on the simple yet outstanding illustrations of Chris Van Allsburg, and this book was no different. The scale that he creates his images on is very pleasing to look at and never feels too overwhelming. I also enjoyed the story being told from the point of view of one person writing in their personal diary. I felt sadness when the character felt sadness and I also felt joy when the characters felt joy. Overall, another great story to add to the Van Allsburg collection.
January 25, 2011
The Wretched Stone left me feeling kind of odd. The writing itself was quite direct, written as excerpts from a captain's journal while aboard the ship, Rita Anne. The merry crew came across an uncharted island where they found an object that would change them. Fortunately, the crew returns to its previous form with the aid of reading and music-making. The illustrations decked out most of the pages, and were a great help in understanding the story. However, the intended message, if any, was sadly lost on me, except that reading bestowed a "civilized" nature upon the crew. There was some humor in the book, the most significant, perhaps, in the last line. Although I found this story to be strange, I did enjoy it overall.
December 24, 2020
The Wretched Stone is straight out of the Harris Burdick realm for Chris Van Allsburg. Stark imagery surrounds a dark tale of magic and mystery on the high seas. The book is absolutely riveting - I forgot how much I loved The Wretched Stone as a child, largely because it felt so adult in comparison to many other kid's books. We need more books like this nowadays.
Re-reading some childhood classics for Christmas.
Re-reading some childhood classics for Christmas.
July 29, 2020
That was unexpected. Made me feel a little sick.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 19, 2021
*screaming in horror*
February 2, 2023
Change the ending somewhat and this is a straight-up horror novel. Great reveal!
October 8, 2019
This book is about the voyage on the Rita Ann. The story is told through the captain’s journal entries. The ship sets sail with a normal crew. Shortly into the trip they see an object in the water. It is a large stone with a glowing surface. Naturally, they pull it on board and the crew is captivated. Throughout the next few entries the captain begins to write about how his crew is no longer the same. They were no longer signing, writing, playing the violin, telling stories, and most importantly they were not doing their jobs anymore. The captain is worries as he cannot do all the jobs himself, and a storm is coming. He soon comes to find out that his crew had all turned into apes, this is when the storm hits and tears the ship apart. There were no more sails, no more router, all they could do is wait for help. However, the crew was no longer obsessed with the stone and slowly grew back to who they used to be.
I think this would be a great way to introduce different ways an author tells a story. This could be used when teaching about journal entries. I would then have students tell their own story using this style. Another way this could be used would be to talk about symbolism. This could be used along with a lot of Chris’ books, like The Stranger. In this case we would explore what the stone symbolizes. In my interpretation, I would say it is talking about technology or television. Again, I would then challenge my students to write their own stories focusing on symbolism in some way.
I think this would be a great way to introduce different ways an author tells a story. This could be used when teaching about journal entries. I would then have students tell their own story using this style. Another way this could be used would be to talk about symbolism. This could be used along with a lot of Chris’ books, like The Stranger. In this case we would explore what the stone symbolizes. In my interpretation, I would say it is talking about technology or television. Again, I would then challenge my students to write their own stories focusing on symbolism in some way.
October 9, 2017
Summary: This is the story of a bunch of men off at sea discovering new islands. They come across one island and they find a glowing stone. So, they bring the stone onto the ship and become captivated by it. They stop doing their jobs and just sit and watch the stone. That is all they do, for days at a time. One day, the captain comes down and sees that they have all turned into monkeys. He decides to destroy the stone, and the monkeys return to men.
Evaluation: I gave this story a four for the reasoning behind the text. I do not think that children would necessarily be able to understand the deeper meaning behind the text unless told. I thought it was interesting because the stone represents technology and how it consumes people. It was a very interesting text that brought a lot of perspective!
Teaching Idea: I would use this as a narrative prompt. I would have the students write their story with the stone. If they saw the stone, how would they react? What would they do? I think this would give them some freedom to write and take an idea from a story and make it their own.
Evaluation: I gave this story a four for the reasoning behind the text. I do not think that children would necessarily be able to understand the deeper meaning behind the text unless told. I thought it was interesting because the stone represents technology and how it consumes people. It was a very interesting text that brought a lot of perspective!
Teaching Idea: I would use this as a narrative prompt. I would have the students write their story with the stone. If they saw the stone, how would they react? What would they do? I think this would give them some freedom to write and take an idea from a story and make it their own.
September 3, 2014
The Wretched Stone, by Chris Van Allsburg, is a picture book about a ship that encounters a mysterious rock that has powers that can only be taken away by reading and music. The story starts off with the narrator, a crew member of the ship explaining that their trip so far is going well and how all the crew members are very outgoing and that there is never a dull moment aboard the ship. As the ship continues to sail it comes across an island that is not on the map that the crewmembers have with them, which is strange because the route that the ship is sailing has been taken many times before. The narrator, along with his crewmembers, decide to get off the ship to explore the small island. While on the island they find a rock that they take back aboard the ship. As the days of sailing continue the narrator starts to notice that the crewmembers look very lazy and sad and they aren’t acting happy like they usually do. Eventually all the crewmembers end up staying in their quarters and the narrator is forced to sail the ship all by himself, which doesn’t turn out so well. After the storm, the narrator decides to go see what the crewmembers have been up to all this time, and he sees something very frightening. Eventually, the narrator figures out that listening to music and stories can cure the crewmembers.
The way this book is formatted is very clever. Van Allsburg decided to put the text in journal entry forms. It makes the reader really seem like they are part of the ship because they are reading how things happen in chronological order. Also the pages look like journal entries because there is a lot drawings and illustrations to depict what is happening and then there are the journal entries that are scattered along the page. I really liked how Van Allsburg approached how to write this book because he could have just told the story as a third party, but instead he made it seem like the reader was reading straight out of a sailor’s diary.
The way this book is formatted is very clever. Van Allsburg decided to put the text in journal entry forms. It makes the reader really seem like they are part of the ship because they are reading how things happen in chronological order. Also the pages look like journal entries because there is a lot drawings and illustrations to depict what is happening and then there are the journal entries that are scattered along the page. I really liked how Van Allsburg approached how to write this book because he could have just told the story as a third party, but instead he made it seem like the reader was reading straight out of a sailor’s diary.
January 19, 2015
This story was an interesting one, I have never read the story until i picked it up a couple of days ago and at first glance it seems that it would have been a story of a sailor who enjoys the seas. upon reading the story i soon discovered that the story is a somewhat spooky picture book. The story follows the captain of the Rita Anne Randall Ethan Hope as the narrator reads his daily logs from the voyage. The group seem to stumble upon an island not yet seen before which they found puzzling as hundreds of ships have sailed the waters in that area and none of them seem to have come across the little piece of land, upon entering the island they notice no signs of living organisms or drinkable water. On the island they seem to find a stone which has captured the attention of the lively crew who usually sing, read and dance. Once the stone was lifted onto the ship the captain noticed that the singing, reading and dancing had stopped and found that the crew had gone into the hold to stare at the stone in their downtime. After a few days he noticed the crew began to change, The captain then took it upon himself to entertain the crew and himself by playing the violin and reading books in which the crew began to notice and changed back to their usual state. Soon they all turned back to normal but had an unnatural appetite for the fruit of Santa Pango.
The Wretched Stone by Chris Van Allsburg is a great story of the dangers of media and children being caught up in watching movies, TV shows and how harming they can be to kids. If all the kids do is watch television or in this case a shiny stone they can change to not be active or be eager to learn. Chris Van Allsburg did a wonderful job in portraying that television or any other sort of media device can change how one acts.
The Wretched Stone by Chris Van Allsburg is a great story of the dangers of media and children being caught up in watching movies, TV shows and how harming they can be to kids. If all the kids do is watch television or in this case a shiny stone they can change to not be active or be eager to learn. Chris Van Allsburg did a wonderful job in portraying that television or any other sort of media device can change how one acts.
May 15, 2015
This book for older readers is comprised of excerpts from the journal of Rita Anne. These journal entries tell of a long journey taken on a ship. This journal takes the narrator to a jungle land based on the illustrations and in that jungle the narrator comes upon a stone. This stone is so intriguing to him that he brings it aboard the ship. The stone gives off a strange glow and makes the crew act oddly. When the narrator decides to get rid of the stone, the crew locks themselves in the room with the stone and refuses to do their job and steer the ship. With a storm brewing, the narrator tries again to get the crew to work. When the narrator finally get the door open, he is shocked at what he sees; the whole crew has turned into monkeys! Thankfully the ship makes it through the storm, but not without damage. The crew remains to be apes, but the narrator figures out that reading and playing the violin seems to calm down the men and help them return to normal. The narrator makes sure to keep the stone covered up. As the men return to normal, the whole crew is rescued. The narrator decides that the best thing to happen to the stone is that the whole ship needs to go down in flames. The crew is left in a harbor town where they decide to sign onto different crews and to not talk about what happened on that ship.
The illustrations in this book are wonderful. They brings the words to life. The large images help with the little text on each page. The journal entries are just enough to tell what happens in the story. For older readers it is important that they are learning to infer and fill in some of the details. This book is great when students are learning about voyages and how people traveled long ago. While this book is purely fiction, it does help with children's imagination and could be used for lots of different writing topics.
The illustrations in this book are wonderful. They brings the words to life. The large images help with the little text on each page. The journal entries are just enough to tell what happens in the story. For older readers it is important that they are learning to infer and fill in some of the details. This book is great when students are learning about voyages and how people traveled long ago. While this book is purely fiction, it does help with children's imagination and could be used for lots of different writing topics.
April 8, 2014
The Wretched Stone by Chris Van Allsburg is a story written from the perspective of the ship’s Captain about a mysterious occurrence on board of the Rita Anne. The crew of this ship came across an island in the ocean and they had hoped to find some food and water. Once on the island, they found a glowing rock. The crew brought the rock back with them onto the ship and instantly became mesmerized by it. All but the Captain were entranced with this mysterious rock, and one day the Captain discovered that they crew had turned into monkeys! Since he had no crew, a storm destroyed the ship and left them stranded in the middle of the ocean. Because the Captain was bored while they were stranded, he began playing violin and reading to the crew. To his delight, they transformed back into their human selves.
The illustrations were also created by Chris Van Allsburg. I thought they images were an accurate depiction of the story, but it only showed pieces of the story, and didn’t capture the whole thing. I think the story could have been told without the image, but they made it more colorful and appealing to younger students. I also enjoyed the realistic depiction of the crew as both humans and monkeys. It allows the reader to really visualize what was going on.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I think it would be great for both younger students and older students. The lexile measure is AD580L which means adult lead for around second and third grade. I would definitely read this aloud to second or third grade students to help them distinguish between the days and journal entries. I would be more likely to let older students in fourth or fifth grade read this book on their own, but I would also read it aloud for a lesson.
The illustrations were also created by Chris Van Allsburg. I thought they images were an accurate depiction of the story, but it only showed pieces of the story, and didn’t capture the whole thing. I think the story could have been told without the image, but they made it more colorful and appealing to younger students. I also enjoyed the realistic depiction of the crew as both humans and monkeys. It allows the reader to really visualize what was going on.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I think it would be great for both younger students and older students. The lexile measure is AD580L which means adult lead for around second and third grade. I would definitely read this aloud to second or third grade students to help them distinguish between the days and journal entries. I would be more likely to let older students in fourth or fifth grade read this book on their own, but I would also read it aloud for a lesson.
August 29, 2018
The Wretched Stone
Review by Holly Koch
The Wretched Stone is a story which is told through little journal-like entrees from a captains log. The captain begins just by describing the usual acts of the crew and tells a normal story. That is, until they find a stone on an island that puts a strange curse on the crew of the ship. They turn into apes and start acting very strange. The captain is fearful that things will never be the same for his crew and that there will be no salvation for his ship, the Rita Anne. By the end of the story, they see a ship in passing and are able to rid themselves of the stone and Rita Anne. The crew goes back to normal and everyone agrees to not bring up the strange events that took place on ship.
The book is illustrated in a painted, cartoon like manner. I don’t think it was the best fitting for the story line, in my opinion. However, the illustrations become very ominous in certain places of the text. It definitely sets the tone that something strange and spooky is going on.
In most of the illustrations, you can not make out facial expressions and the faces are usually hidden in some way, either turned to the side or being covered. This lead me to wonder why but it’s clear that the book was made to be ominous and having the people illustrated in this way proves that point to be true.
The use of color varys from page to page. I believe that the colors used on every page is significant to whatever is in the textbox within that page. They correspond to each other as well as give you a visual cue when the tone is changing.
Good Reads Review: 2/5. It was an okay book but not for me. I didn’t find it interesting and wasn’t able to make connections to real-life.
Review by Holly Koch
The Wretched Stone is a story which is told through little journal-like entrees from a captains log. The captain begins just by describing the usual acts of the crew and tells a normal story. That is, until they find a stone on an island that puts a strange curse on the crew of the ship. They turn into apes and start acting very strange. The captain is fearful that things will never be the same for his crew and that there will be no salvation for his ship, the Rita Anne. By the end of the story, they see a ship in passing and are able to rid themselves of the stone and Rita Anne. The crew goes back to normal and everyone agrees to not bring up the strange events that took place on ship.
The book is illustrated in a painted, cartoon like manner. I don’t think it was the best fitting for the story line, in my opinion. However, the illustrations become very ominous in certain places of the text. It definitely sets the tone that something strange and spooky is going on.
In most of the illustrations, you can not make out facial expressions and the faces are usually hidden in some way, either turned to the side or being covered. This lead me to wonder why but it’s clear that the book was made to be ominous and having the people illustrated in this way proves that point to be true.
The use of color varys from page to page. I believe that the colors used on every page is significant to whatever is in the textbox within that page. They correspond to each other as well as give you a visual cue when the tone is changing.
Good Reads Review: 2/5. It was an okay book but not for me. I didn’t find it interesting and wasn’t able to make connections to real-life.
September 2, 2014
The Wretched Stone
Van Allsburg (1991)
My initial impression of this book was tainted due to the rebinding my school library had to perform which caused the book to lack an enticing cover. However, when I saw the initial illustrations I was captivated by the perspective the artist used. It seemed like I was right there on the ship with the narrator (who happened to be a sailor aboard a ship setting off to sea).
The book was written in a series of journal entries, which definitely played into the tone of the story as I read it. The narrator starts out hopeful as the crew, made up of several lively, imaginative, and energetic men, set sail. He looks forward to a successful voyage. And as the reader you are compelled to read on.
That being said, about half way through the book things take a turn for the worst. The crew comes upon an island that seemed appealing until one spent some real time on the place and the once thought lovely smell turns into a poignant odor. The crew decides to leave the place, but they take with them a stone, a wretched stone, that omits a faint light and appears to have the sailors in a trance. Every sailor but the narrator decides they would rather sit around and stare at the stone than work and the consequences of these actions are devastating.
By this point it has become clear the book is intended as a satire for the effects the television has on a child's spirit. I felt it was slightly too obvious, to the point you feel the point has been dulled by the hammer after nailing it in so hard.
But rest assured, the sailors are able to come to. But that is not without a permanent taste for a different kind of grub.
Van Allsburg (1991)
My initial impression of this book was tainted due to the rebinding my school library had to perform which caused the book to lack an enticing cover. However, when I saw the initial illustrations I was captivated by the perspective the artist used. It seemed like I was right there on the ship with the narrator (who happened to be a sailor aboard a ship setting off to sea).
The book was written in a series of journal entries, which definitely played into the tone of the story as I read it. The narrator starts out hopeful as the crew, made up of several lively, imaginative, and energetic men, set sail. He looks forward to a successful voyage. And as the reader you are compelled to read on.
That being said, about half way through the book things take a turn for the worst. The crew comes upon an island that seemed appealing until one spent some real time on the place and the once thought lovely smell turns into a poignant odor. The crew decides to leave the place, but they take with them a stone, a wretched stone, that omits a faint light and appears to have the sailors in a trance. Every sailor but the narrator decides they would rather sit around and stare at the stone than work and the consequences of these actions are devastating.
By this point it has become clear the book is intended as a satire for the effects the television has on a child's spirit. I felt it was slightly too obvious, to the point you feel the point has been dulled by the hammer after nailing it in so hard.
But rest assured, the sailors are able to come to. But that is not without a permanent taste for a different kind of grub.
January 28, 2014
This story recounted through the daily log of a captain named Allan Hope, the sailors the Rita Anne become mesmerized and transformed by a mysterious glowing rock.
When I read this book, I was suddenly attracted by the amazing stone. “It is a rock, approximately two feet across. It is roughly textured, gray in color, but a portion of it is flat and smooth as glass. From this surface comes a glowing light that is quite beautiful and pleasing to look at.”
The unusual structure of the book provides a wonderful opportunity to teach young writers about how a story can be told through letters, journal entries, or, as is the case in The Wretched Stone, entries in a logbook. Younger children will benefit from examining the book as readers as well — piecing together the information provided by the captain's spare logbook entries will help them understand all of the mind work that readers do on their own — and how exciting it can be to create the world of the book in our minds in order to form opinions and make sense of the story.
Book, is the only immortal, can spread the ages to come, influence of ages to come! The book is the human’s spirit food, is the best exhaustive that endless aftertaste. Book can change a person’s fate. Reading a good book can make the person become perfect. I think all my good things are given by books.
When I read this book, I was suddenly attracted by the amazing stone. “It is a rock, approximately two feet across. It is roughly textured, gray in color, but a portion of it is flat and smooth as glass. From this surface comes a glowing light that is quite beautiful and pleasing to look at.”
The unusual structure of the book provides a wonderful opportunity to teach young writers about how a story can be told through letters, journal entries, or, as is the case in The Wretched Stone, entries in a logbook. Younger children will benefit from examining the book as readers as well — piecing together the information provided by the captain's spare logbook entries will help them understand all of the mind work that readers do on their own — and how exciting it can be to create the world of the book in our minds in order to form opinions and make sense of the story.
Book, is the only immortal, can spread the ages to come, influence of ages to come! The book is the human’s spirit food, is the best exhaustive that endless aftertaste. Book can change a person’s fate. Reading a good book can make the person become perfect. I think all my good things are given by books.
April 15, 2018
This book was a happy surprise - I read it as a counter to some fairly deep reading material, and realized it fit the 2018 Popsugar Advanced Reading Challenge for an allegory. Some may disagree with me, but I feel children's books count too.
What is the mysterious stone that the crew has brought on board the Rita Anne? And what does it do to the crew?
What is the mysterious stone that the crew has brought on board the Rita Anne? And what does it do to the crew?
November 5, 2014
In this book, it shows a captain and his crew's voyage as they discover new land. They discover a stone which they then take onto their ship. However, strange things start happening to the crew once the stone with the very flat screen is aboard. The captain then has to try to help his crew and get back ashore.
This book was a bit different from the first chris Van Allsburg book I read. The illustrations were mostly on one page, however there were a few instances where they took over both pages. This usually happened at points in the story where there was a change in the storyline or an obvious change in events. Overall, the illustrations had a black border and the text was written in the form of a log, similar to how a captain may log his voyage. Unlike the other books I have read by him, the illustrations were a little less realistic-such as the coloring of the water.
Overall, I found the book to be very interesting. I think it could bring up a good discussion with my students regarding relying on media and certain areas of society. However, I would think it be more grade appropriate with older students versus for kindergarten students.
This book was a bit different from the first chris Van Allsburg book I read. The illustrations were mostly on one page, however there were a few instances where they took over both pages. This usually happened at points in the story where there was a change in the storyline or an obvious change in events. Overall, the illustrations had a black border and the text was written in the form of a log, similar to how a captain may log his voyage. Unlike the other books I have read by him, the illustrations were a little less realistic-such as the coloring of the water.
Overall, I found the book to be very interesting. I think it could bring up a good discussion with my students regarding relying on media and certain areas of society. However, I would think it be more grade appropriate with older students versus for kindergarten students.
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