Video of the Week: The Pot That Juan Built
From SLJ December 2004
Angela J. Reynolds, Washington Co. Cooperative Library, Hillsboro, OR -- School Library Journal, 11/22/2004
videocassette. color. 22 min. (closed captioned). with tchr's. guide. Weston Woods (www.scholastic.com/westonwoods). 2004. ISBN 0-78820-321-5. $60; also avail. cassette with hardcover book, ISBN 0-78820-335-5: $24.95; CD with hardcover book, ISBN 078820-336-3: $29.95.
Gr 1-4-The pottery of Juan Quezada comes to life in this exceptional rendition of the book by Nancy Andrews-Goebel (Lee & Low, 2002). David Diaz's computer-generated artwork smoothly transitions into an iconographic film with movement in just the right places, weaving scenes from the book into a tasteful production. This biography of the Mexican potter is infused with light as first a poem, and then factual information is presented. The clever design of the book translates well into film, with the second half presenting interesting educational footage from a documentary on the Mata Ortiz potters. The film expertly combines the narrative talents of Alfred Molina, whose accent is perfect for the subject, with appropriate music from Otmaro Ruiz. Both the video and the CD follow the book word-for-word, allowing for easy follow-along. An excellent choice for libraries wishing to expand their art and/or Latino studies collections, and very useful in the classroom as well.
