Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave

Hill, L.C. (2010). Dave the potter: artist, poet, slave. New York, NY: Little, Brown and Company.

Coretta Scott King Book Award - Illustrator Winner, 2011 

If the plot does not fit the traditional plot line, what plot line does the book illustrate?  Write a 5-6 sentence description of the book:   

Dave the Potter uses a nontraditional plot line as it follows Dave, a slave whose life revolves around clay, two hundred years ago, as he uses clay to mold a jar.  It discusses how to most of us clay is just dirt but to Dave it was what he used to form his life.  Dave mixes clay with water to spin on his potter’s wheel and eventually molds it into something new.   Dave finally finishes his jar.  On it, he writes a message, “I wonder where is all my relation, friendship to all – and every nation – August 16, 1857” (Hill, 2010).

Picture books only (Was this a well illustrated book? Describe how it was or was not well-illustrated in 3 sentences.):   

Bryan Collier, illustrator of Dave the Potter, uses lots of bold, rich brown hues in his paintings, much like Dave would have found in the clay he used daily.  His stunning illustrations help show the reader the process a potter uses in molding the clay into a new creation.  Collier also expertly depicts Dave’s love for his work through the peaceful and determined expressions on his face throughout much of the book.