CHILDREN OF CLAY: A Family of Pueblo Potters

by Rina Swentzell ‧ RELEASE DATE: Dec. 23, 1992

A second excellent entry in the ""We Are Still Here"" series about contemporary Native Americans describes how four generations of an extended family work together to create the beautiful pottery for which New Mexico is famous. A family making an outing to dig clay in the mountains, where the children also play in a nearby stream and listen to a story told by matriarch Gin Rose; cleaning and preparing the clay; forming pots and both fanciful and traditional figures (young children are shown enjoying this, and even making salable items, from an early age); drying, polishing, decorating, and firing--Swentzell (a potter from Santa Clara Pueblo) explains that different members of the family participate at each stage, though ""the same people seldom do all the work."" This is a more focused account than Regguinti's The Sacred Harvest (p.?): there's no comment on the economic importance of pottery; also, more photos of the finished pots would have been welcome. Still, the color photos and clear text work well together in detailing a family's cooperative effort to continue this fine traditional craft. Glossary; further reading.

Pub Date: Dec. 23, 1992

ISBN: 082259627X

Page Count: 40

Publisher: Lerner

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 1992

Categories: CHILDREN'S