The Potter

Kelly L. Green is a freelance writer living in Ajax, Ontario.

This picture book, ostensibly the story of a powerful potter with
magical powers of creation, is ultimately disappointing. A number of
story elements, including the very first sentence of the book, “I am
the potter’s daughter,” are never satisfactorily explored, and serve
only to mystify and confuse the reader or listener. Secondary elements,
such as the creation of a magical clay castle, disappear almost as soon
as they are introduced, leaving readers dissatisfied.

Caton occasionally hits her stride and produces some nice verbal
imagery of the potter and his pots. “He rolled and coiled, pulled and
pinched, molded and shaped. The pots kept him company, murmuring their
approval. At each new addition, they rattled and thumped their
applause.” More often than not, however, she seems to be trying too
hard, creating a moralistic fable for adults that masquerades as a
children’s book. McCallum’s illustrations are colorful and textured,
but busy, unfocused, and rather lifeless. Not without merit, The Potter
could have benefited from tighter editing.