Coretta Scott King Award Winner
Caldecott Honor Book
Beauty of artistry, beauty of words, and beauty of theme all are traits which place this book in my favorites list. From the moment I laid eyes on the cover and the intense look of concentration on the face of Dave the Potter as he worked the clay pot, I fell for this book. Detail after artistic detail - pages which have a worn scrapbook-like edging, dark earth-toned paintings, images which glimpse the slave life – draws the reader into the poetic story and adds depth to the already moving story. I was surprised by the foldout in the idle of the book and almost missed it as it blended in so well. I am glad I didn’t, or I would have missed the beauty of the change from lump of clay to full fledge pot. The subtle symbolism of the story comes through in both words and illustrations. The addition of the background history of Dave the Potter with the inclusion of some of his verses along with the story of how the book was conceived appealed to me. I have always enjoyed art and particularly pottery. The book reawakened an itch to spend time throwing a pot on a wheel soon.
Hill, L. C. (2010). Dave the potter: artist, poet, slave. New York: Little, Brown, and Company.
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