Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet Slave - Picture Book

Bibliography

Hill, Laban Carrick. 2011. DAVE THE POTTER: ARTIST, POET, SLAVE. Ill. By Bryan Collier. New York: Little Brown and Company.
ISBN 978-0-316-10731-0.

Plot Summary

            Laban Carrick Hill’s book, DAVE THE POTTER, explored the work of an inspiring African American artist, Dave. Dave was a pottery maker and slave. Although the actual setting and timeframe of the book (a plantation in Pottersville, South Carolina in 1880) was never mentioned in the story itself, it was discussed in the author’s notes. The setting however was brought to life by the striking illustrations which provide not only a vivid description of the location, but also the process Dave used to create his pottery. From its beginnings as dirt and water, the reader is drawn into the progression of steps employed to turn that dirt into clay, and eventually into a piece of pottery. Dave left his distinctive mark on each piece of pottery he created by scratching a small piece of his own poetry into the clay; turning it from pottery into art. There is no traditional “story”, with a plot, and conflict, instead this book is a journey of creation. It illustrates, in step by step detail, the process Dave used to create his pots. There are two characters presented, Dave and the clay itself. Hill’s writing and Collier’s illustrations bring the clay to life and create images of the clay growing and evolving, like a child grows into an adult.  This book instills in its readers the care and detail a man has for his work, turning it from ordinary into art. In addition it, in a very subtle manner it teaches that the most adverse circumstances can be overcome, and not only be converted into an opportunity for self- expression, but also a medium to provide inspiration to others.

Critical Analysis

            Hill’s modest writing employs metaphor and simile to create understanding. “…his potter’s wheel spun as fast as a carnival’s wheel of fortune.” His writing is tactile; it evokes movement, action and sensation “His chapped thumbs pinched into the center, squeezed the inside against his fingers outside.”  The action in the book is created by Hills’s vivid language and Collier’s vibrant and palpable illustrations, transporting the reader to the time of the plantation. These illustrations are essentially the plot. However, they also have a patchwork like quality to them providing depth and interest. The central figures are depicted in a very lifelike way; however the background images appear to have been created out of different images pasted together. Also, there is a combination of both movement and emotion in his art. An excellent example of Collier’s depiction of movement is a picture of Dave watching his pot grow and expand on the potter’s wheel. The picture shows the pot itself, but it also shows increasingly larger outlines emanating from the pot creating the illusion of the pot expanding on the page.

     It should also be noted that this book has a minor element of engineering. In the center is a pull out flap that details, in four panels, a pot being created out of a lump of clay. The reader sees the pot grow and expand through Collier’s illustrations over those four panels. Hill also provides a biography of Dave, along with excerpts from his poetry and a bibliography providing additional resources and websites to further explore this fascinating artist.

Review Excerpts and Awards

            Caldecott Honor Book 2011

            Coretta Scott King Book Award (Winner Illustrator) 2011

     KIRKUS review 2010: “Hill crafts a poetic tribute that's respectful and playful, much like the potter's own short verse, which was frequently incised onto the shoulders of his handsome stoneware jars. Collier's rich watercolor collages adopt many angles of perspective to reveal the potter's strength and artistry.”

      COOPERATIVE CHILDREN’S BOOK CENTER CHOICES review 2010: “Author Laban Carrick Hill’s artful, free-flowing narrative describes how Dave, an African American potter who lived in slavery, might have created his famous and beautiful pots in this picture book that illuminates an artist known only by his first name.”

Connections

·       Poetry can be created dealing with the child’s hobby.

·       Students could prepare a story about overcoming adversity in their own lives.

·       This website is an educator’s guide to DAVE THE POTTER http://www.digitaltraditions.net/html/D_Resources.cfm.