stunning illustrations and an interesting poetic text tell some of the story of a potter who the large pots and hard and occasionally added his name and a line or two of poetry, despite being a slave. The illustrations are very worth a look. ( )

This book is recommended for intermediate students. This book depicts David Drake and his pottery. In my future classroom, I would use this book to talk about the influence things like art can have in a persons life. ( )

intermediate
Dave is a potter who works with clay. This story tells that the things he works with might not mean much to us, but they mean the world to Dave.
This story is probably meant for kids of African American descent, but I could still have it in a primarily white classroom so they can get a glimpse of black people in the 1800s just living life and creating beautiful things that they are passionate about. I'd liek to have this in my classroom, it is interesting and a little bit more "serious" to balance out the silly books.

Goodreads Review:
To us
it is just dirt,
the ground we walk on. . . .
But to Dave
it was clay,
the plain and basic stuff
upon which he formed a life
as a slave nearly 200 years ago.

Dave was an extraordinary artist, poet, and potter who lived in South Carolina in the 1800s. He combined his superb artistry with deeply observant poetry, carved onto his pots, transcending the limitations he faced as a slave. In this inspiring and lyrical portrayal, National Book Award Finalist Laban Carrick Hill and award-winning artist Bryan Collier tell Dave's remarkable story, one rich in history, hope, and long-lasting beauty.

Though living most of his life as a slave, Dave combined beautiful artistry with poetry carved into his pots to defy the limitations of slavery. Rich in history, beauty, and inspiration. Author’s Note, Illustrator’s Note, Bibliography, Websites.