Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave facts for kids
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| Author | Laban Carrick Hill |
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| Illustrator | Bryan Collier |
| Country | United States |
| Genre | Children's picture book |
| Publisher | Little, Brown and Company |
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Publication date
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2010 |
| Media type | Print (hardcover) |
| Pages | 40 |
| Awards | Coretta Scott King Award Caldecott Medal Honor Book |
| ISBN | 978-0-316-10731-0 |
| OCLC | 51699 |
Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave is a special picture book from 2010. It was written by Laban Carrick Hill. The amazing pictures in the book were drawn by Bryan Collier. He even won two big awards for his art: the Coretta Scott King Award and the Caldecott Medal in 2011! The book was first published by Little, Brown and Company.
What the Book is About
This picture book tells the true story of David Drake. He was a very talented potter who lived in South Carolina in the 1800s. During this time, he was an enslaved person. The book is written in a simple, poetic style called free verse.
The story starts by showing how most people saw dirt as just dirt. But Dave saw it as something amazing. He knew he could turn it into beautiful pots. These pots could hold flowers, store food, or even keep memories.
Dave would get clay from a place called Big Horse Creek. He would then put the clay on his potter's wheel. With his skilled hands, he would carefully shape it into a jar. The book describes small details, like Dave's rough thumbs and his hands covered in clay. It also shows how much he loved making pottery.
After shaping the jar, Dave would smooth its sides with water. Then, he would mix wood ash and sand to create a brown glaze. This glaze would give the pot a nice finish. Before the clay dried completely, Dave would do something special. He would carve a poem right into the clay. He would also sign his name and the date.
At the end of the book, you can see pictures of some of Dave's real pots. There is also a longer story about his life. It shares more about the different poems he carved into his pottery.
How the Book Was Made
The Author's Idea
Laban Carrick Hill, the author, got the idea for this book by chance. He heard a talk by an art professor named Lisa Gail Collins. She was talking about how African culture influenced African American art. During her talk, she mentioned one of Dave's pots and a poem he had written on it.
This idea stayed with Laban Hill. Later, he watched a TV show called Antiques Roadshow. On the show, someone showed off one of Dave's artworks. That's when Hill decided he had to write a book about Dave. He did a lot of research online. He also got a catalog from an art show that featured Dave's work. As he learned more, he was amazed by Dave's artistic talent.
The Illustrator's Work
Bryan Collier, the illustrator, wanted to make his pictures as real as possible. So, he traveled to where Dave had lived. This was an area near Edgefield, South Carolina, called Pottersville. There, he met a local potter named Stephen Ferrell. Ferrell showed Collier one of Dave's pots. He also explained how Dave's work still influences potters in that area today.
Collier used watercolor and collage to create the illustrations. He painted on thick watercolor paper. His pictures show readers each step of how Dave would create a pot. Since there are no photos of Dave, Collier used a model to help him draw what Dave might have looked like.
The book's words don't directly say that Dave was enslaved. However, Collier tried to show this reality through his art. He included images like shackles and other enslaved people working in the fields. Collier was deeply moved by Dave's story. He felt that Dave's artwork showed great dignity, even though he faced incredibly difficult times.
