Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave/ Coretta Scott King

Plot Summary:

            Dave the Potter does not follow traditional plot lines. It is a poetic description of a master potter and slave, Dave and the way he goes about his work. We find out he inscribes his giant pots with words of humor and wisdom. We also learn that there are very few potters that could make jars the size of the ones that Dave made.

Personal Reaction:

            This is a book about a slave is interesting because it does not center around the subject of slavery itself, as if it is an afterthought. The fact that “slave” is the last term defining Dave in the title of the book also speaks to the sense that Dave is not defined by his servitude. The words and illustrations in the book are very calm and relaxing, the use of warm colors adding to the sense of tranquility of the book. The reader feels a sense of peacefulness that the character Dave feels while he is expressing himself through his art; the steady spin of the pot around the wheel and smell the earthy clay. This rhythm can also be felt in the lines of verse, and the texture can be “felt” through the illustrations, creating a sensory experience in which the words very much correspond with the pictures.

Hill, L. C., & Collier, B. (2010). Dave the potter: artist, poet, slave. New York: Little, Brown.