Nearly 200 years ago, in South Carolina, there lived a potter named Dave.  Dave was a slave whose owner allowed him a rare opportunity for a black person at that time… and that was to develop a skill. (Usually owners feared that slaves who developed a skill, such as blacksmithing or pottery, would start demanding more rights.)  Dave also could read and write, as he wrote short poems with dates, which he inscribed on the side of many of his pots, many of which have survived to today.  This book pays tribute to this artist through lovely lyrical language and bigger than life watercolors in browns, blacks, and whites.  The book’s design is award quality, with small subdued color photos subtly, and artfully incorporated in the background of the bold watercolor.  On the opposite page, the minimal text sits in the middle of a large expanse of monochromatic watercolor paper, giving a feeling of serenity and peace.  The serenity and intensity play off each other, on the two page spread, creating something quite striking.  Back matter includes more information about Dave such as…”Dave was one of the only two known potters at the time who could successfully make pots that were larger than twenty gallons, sometimes as large as forty gallons. To do this he had to wrestle more than sixty pounds of clay on his turning wheel.”  Whether students are studying black history or merely exploring with clay, this remarkable book is a must for an elementary school collection.