Children’s Books on Ceramics 

Books on ceramics, like ceramics themselves, reveal to the beholder a connection between the natural world and design. The process for making ceramics takes time.

First a kiln must be built. Then, clay is dug, and then it is mixed. Some impurities need to be taken out of the clay body, and some ingredients need to be mixed into the clay body. After there is clay, it needs to be fashioned into a form – either by hand, mold, or wheel. If incising is desired, that is done now. At this point, clay needs to dry thoroughly. Fuel for the fire in the kiln must be sourced. The clay is then fired in the kiln. After that, the ceramic can be glazed, and fired again. After that, if the ceramic needs more glazing, it can be glazed again. Then, the ceramic needs another firing. After that, the ceramic can be painted. Following painting, it must be fired again. Then, a final glaze (over glaze) can be applied to add a luster to the surface. Then, the ceramic can be fired again. Finally the ceramic needs to cool and rest.

Ceramics are created not in hours, but over days, weeks, months, and sometimes years. It is precisely because of the duration of time involved in making ceramics that stories about ceramics have a rhythm of time. It is also why the themes of thoughtfulness, purpose, patience, and perseverance are explored in each of these recommended children’s books about ceramics.

A Single Shard
By Linda Sue Park
Clarion Books, New York, 2001

Set twelfth-century Korean ceramic center, Ch’ulp’o, this  Newberry Medal Winning tale of an orphan boy named Tree-ear and his guardian, the wise Crane-man follows their journey as Tree-ear apprentices with a ceramic master, Min. The slow rhythm and long duration involved in learning how to make ceramics, and making the ceramics themselves is thoughtfully woven through the journey of each character. The development of each character, and their relationships with one another, develops like a splendid ceramic work serving to successfully connect the young reader to a perhaps unfamiliar topic, time and place. Values of kindness, diligence, patience, and process explored in this tale are as relevant to the modern reader as they are for the book’s characters.

Akosua’s Gift Original Story by Angela Christian Retold by Kathy Knowles, Illustrated by Edmund Opare
Osu Children’s Library Fund, Winnipeg, Manitoba, 2011

In this warmly illustrated story replete with textiles, jewelry, architecture, and of course ceramics from the Ashanti village of Tafo, Ghana, a young girl, Askosua, seeks a thoughtful wedding gift for her sister, Abena and her groom to be. The process of hand building, and firing an unusually large pot to hold water yields Askosua’s gift to the wedding couple. This tale illiterates a ceramic tradition where women build the vessel, the creative spirit, and gift giving. With the emphasis on thoughtfulness,“[t]he gift would always remind [Abena and her new husband] of Askosua’s kindness and her skills as a pot maker, just like generations of Tafo women before her.”

Polka Dot Penguin Pottery
By Lenore Look, Illustrate by Yumi Heo
Schwartz & Wade Books, New York, 2011

In this beautifully illustrated story, the fictional young budding author Aspen Colorado Kim Chee Lee has adventures in a pottery painting studio. Her grandparents take her there when she is experiencing writer’s block. This story explores the creative process, experimentation and the need creative people (and all of us) have to take a break to find a new perspective sometimes. This book is excellent for the child that is frustrated with the creative process. By switching from writing to painting pottery, Aspen learns“[y]ou can only make a masterpiece if you are willing to make a mess.”

The Fire Children: A West African Creation Tale Retold by Eric Maddern, Pictures by Frane Lessac
Dial Books for Young Readers, New York, 1993

In this lushly illustrated West African creation myth, clay is dug , sculpted, and fired to create the people of the world. After the sky God, Nyame creates the sky, moon, earth, flora and fauna, the first female, Aso Yaa and first male, Kwaku Anase fall to Earth. These two spirit people dig, sculpt and bake clay in their cave replete with over a dozen clay pots.   While all the children of the world are made of the same clay, as the firing time varies, so does their children’s appearance. This book, both emphasizes the capacity to design and create through clay, and serves as a beautiful introduction to the myriad of different global creation myths.

The Pot that Juan Built Text By Nancy Andrew-Goebel, Pictures by David Diaz,
Lee & Low Books, Inc., New York, 2002
Printed in both English and Spanish. The Spanish title is La Vasija Que Juan Fabrico.

This jewel toned illustrated children’s book is a biography of acclaimed Meta Ortiz ceramicist Juan Quezada whose experimentation and willingness to teach “his family and neighbors to [produce pottery] helped transform Mata Ortiz from a poor neglected village into a community of world-famous artist”. From his discovery of shards of ancient pottery to experimenting and then exploring and traditional pottery techniques- digging the clay, , making brushes from his own hair to decorate the pots, making paint from locally sourced mangases and red iron oxide, hand burnishing the pottery with stones and bone, and using dried cow dung for fuel to fire the ceramics – this biography introduces children to one of the world’s ceramic traditions. The themes of process, experimentation, and the relationship between design and the natural environment in this biography is accessible for the youngest of children. The Afterword has photos documenting the ceramic process step by step.

When Clay Sings by Bryd Baylor, Illustrated by Tom Bahti
Charles Scribner & Sons, 1972.

Through this illustrated children’s book in a palette of reds, browns, tans, blacks and grey the narrative effectively connects children to life over 1000 years ago by examining pottery explaining that “[e]very piece of clay is a piece of someone’s life…it has its own small voice and sings in its own way.” In this 32 page children’s book, Baylor and Bohti present a lyrical look at the ceramic tradition of the Anaasazi, Hohokam, Mimbres, and Mogollon cultures of the American Southwest.