Dave the Potter-Artist, Poet, Slave

Title: Dave the Potter- Artist, Poet, Slave
Author: Laban Carrick Hill
Illustrator: Bryan Collier
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company 2010
Genre: Informational Text, Poetry
Age Range: Kindergarten and up
Awards: Caldecott Honor Book (2010) and Coretta Scott King Award Winner (2010)

Summary and Response:
Dave was an extrodinary person. As a slave living in South Carolina during the 1800's, Dave managed to rise above his present postition and live a life of meaning and hope that touches us all still today. This book touches on the adult life of Dave as slave, potter, artist, and poet. Hill's language and lyrical style throughout the book add beauty to the already intricate task of making pots. Hill and Collier combine their efforts to take the reader on a journey into the life of one of the most remakable slaves in history. The text focuses on Dave's skill as an artist and as a pot maker, as well as his role as a poet. Dave's often poetic inscriptions and dates left on the pots he created are one of the most important artifacts we have to give us insight into the lives of slaves during that time. Collier's illustrations give additional clues into this time and culture of the past. This was one remakable man!

Teaching Ideas:
Not only is the text itself worth focusing on, but the informational pages in the back of the book as well as the author and illustrator notes are a MUST read! I found out so much more information not only about Dave's life, but also about how the author and illustrator came to work on and view this book. Did you know Bryan Collier took a trip down to Edgefield, South Carolina (The area where Dave lived.) to conduct his research for the illustrations? He even got to meet and watch a local potter create pottery! This book would fit so nicely into any unit on slavery. I feel that it would not only give insight into the life of a slave during this time period, but it would also give students a sense of hope and the knowlegde that they too can transcend difficult and heartbreaking situations just as Dave did.

Here are a few webites on Dave and his pottery! Don't be afraid to get your hands dirty!

http://www.usca.edu/aasc/davepotter.htm http://www.sciway.net/afam/dave-slave-potter.html http://leonardtodd.com/daves-poems_284.html http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940CE0D8173CF933A05752C0A9669C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all