Synopses & Reviews
Quezada creates stunning pots in the traditional style of the Casas Grandes people, including using human hair to make brushes and cow dung to feed the fire. This real-life story is written in the form of The House That Jack Built, and relays how Juans pioneering work has changed a poor village into a prosperous community of world-class artists. Illustrated by Caldecott Medal winner David Diaz.
Synopsis
Juan Quezada is the premier potter in Mexico. With local materials and the primitive methods of the Casas Grandes people -- including using human hair to make brushes and cow manure to feed the flames that fire his pots -- Juan creates stunning pots in the traditional style. Each is a work of art unlike any other. The text is written in the form of -The House That Jack Built- and accompanied by a comprehensive afterword with photos and information about Juan's technique as well as a history of Mata Ortiz, the northern Mexican village where Juan began and continues to work. This celebratory story tells how Juan's pioneering work has transformed Mata Ortiz from an impoverished village into a prosperous community of world-renowned artists.