Reference
James Gouker
6 – 12 Art
Pittsburgh SciTech
A Single Shard, Linda Sue Park
Linda Park’s lovely little book, A Single Shard is a story that is not only accessible cross-culturally, but also cross-gender for middle school students. The book allows for ceramics to be understood through the lens of Korean artists, but not in a way that is not overwhelming or overly technical. There is a truth about the story and the main character, Tree-ear, which goes beyond the youthful language for which it is written and allows for readers of a much older age to enjoy and treasure.
The novel is written in a language that is very basic and easy to understand, though it is not simplistic. It has a naturalness that is befitting Tree-ear, the protagonist. Tree-ear is a poor boy that lives with a monk who dreams of becoming a potter’s assistant (more so, a potter). The poverty and simplicity of Tree-ear’s aspirations fits with the level of vocabulary and sentence structure. It also allows for a more general accessibility and lends to a very easy read.
Tree-ear is not a gender specific hero, even though he is male. He is written to be a very hard working character that seizes upon a wish and a dream and a mistake to change the course of his life. The humbleness and struggle of Tree-ear is universal. He gets angry when his work is overlooked, he lies to shield his best friend from injury, he makes big mistakes, but he works impossible hours and travels impossible distances for his belief in an artist and his potential as a creator, himself.
The art language is accurate and interesting, but not over informative. Ms. Park discusses the intricacies of throwing and hand building in an over-simplified way. But so much so that a non-ceramicist could easily understand the process. She gets into the business of the clay and the work of preparing it fairly deeply, but that information drives the story. The firing and glaze work explanation is well done, as it adds to the rising action and overall, the general essence of the novel. Generally, the art jargon is well explained and kept to a minimum. The appreciation of the arts, especially the beauty of ceramics is obvious and overarching.
This book could be used as an extension of ceramics study or as inspiration for narrative tiles or prints.
