Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave

Bibliography
Hill, Laban Carrick. 2010. Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave. by Bryan Collier.
New York, NY: Little, Brown and Company. ISBN 978-0-316-10731-0

Plot Summary
In this simplistic but poetically structured biography we are taken on a journey of the life and creations of an important African American artist known as Dave who lived most of his life as a slave and created some of the most beautiful pieces of pottery etched with poetry. The story begins with how we look at clay as dirt but to him it was a way to give life to pots that to us had no real significance but for him they held wonderful memories.

Critical Analysis
Hill’s writing is a poem that celebrates Dave’s life and art as an artist, poet, and potter. Every page has one or two sentences beautifully written as a poem with short lines and stanzas that reinforce Dave’s life as a poet. Throughout the story the reader feels the sense of poetry that Dave must have felt and the step-by-step creation of pottery helps to move the story along smoothly. The inclusion of actual poems used by Dave adds to the historical realism of the time.

Bryan Collier’s illustrations of watercolor and collage portray Dave engaged step-by-step through the process of creating pottery from the collection of the clay, to grinding, kneading, and preparing the clay for the wheel, to applying the glaze, and finally showing Dave handwriting a poetic verse, the date, and his signature.
This is a great story that incorporates poetry, artistry, and history that could be used that could be used to teach any of those elements.

Review Excerpt(s)
Booklis: “Collier’s gorgeous watercolor-and-collage illustrations recall the work of E. B. Lewis—earth-toned, infused with pride, and always catching his subjects in the most telling of poses. A beautiful introduction to a great lost artist.”

Starred Review in School Library Journal: “An inspiring story, perfectly presented....Outstanding in every way.”

Children’s Literature: “Hill’s terse but emotionally evocative, poetic text describes the work of an enslaved potter in the 1800s”

Connections
*Curriculum connections to Art, Poetry, and Slavery
*Use other books that build background about slavery such as Julius Lester’s From Slave Ship to Freedom Road 1998.
*Gather other books illustrated by Bryan Collier, winner of the both Caldecott Honor and Coretta Scott King Award for Martin’s Big Words and Rosa books dealing with slavery.