A Single Shard Review

Park, Linda Sue (2001). A Single Shard. New York: Clarion Books

Tree-Ear and Crane-man are best friends, despite one being a young teen and the other an old man. They live together under a bridge. Both are poor and without family. Crane-man simply wishes to live out his life as it is, but Tree-Ear has a dream to become an apprentice to the greatest porcelain potter.

Tree-ear watches the master potter for a long time, then begins helping the elderly potter by doing chores that are beyond the master’s abilities. Before long he is being given a chance at an apprenticeship. After some time, the master sends Tree-ear on a long and dangerous journey to the court of the King. He is to take samples of the master’s work to the king who will order large quantities of pottery from the best potter in the country. Tree-ear worries about leaving his elderly friend, fearing he will not be able to get food or stay warm. Crane-man wants him to go.

Along the way, Tree-ear is accosted and the pottery damaged. Tree-ear is torn between completing his journey and giving up now that he does not have any samples. Tree-ear must find the courage to honor his commitment and present the pottery to the King.

Park weaves an intricate story of twelfth century Korea with the beauty of perfectly made porcelain pottery. Park’s protagonist, Tree-ear, reaches for a dream that is outside of his class level. His dialogue is easy to read and the themes, while poignant, are handled without sentimentality. Park takes on the issue of orphans, class, and dreams daring to give her protagonist his dream of becoming a potter.

Parks masterful command of research and description takes a common story structure – Protagonist is low class, poor orphan who overcomes great odds to achieve his dreams- and gives it a new energy that will have both children and parents enjoying this book.

From Publishers WeeklyPark (Seesaw Girl) molds a moving tribute to perseverance and creativity in this finely etched novel set in mid- to late 12th-century Korea. In Ch'ul'po, a potter's village, Crane-man (so called because of one shriveled leg) raises 10-year-old orphan Tree Ear (named for a mushroom that grows "without benefit of "parent-seed"). Though the pair reside under a bridge, surviving on cast-off rubbish and fallen grains of rice, they believe "stealing and begging... made a man no better than a dog." From afar, Tree Ear admires the work of the potters until he accidentally destroys a piece by Min, the most talented of the town's craftsmen, and pays his debt in servitude for nine days. Park convincingly conveys how a community of artists works (chopping wood for a communal kiln, cutting clay to be thrown, etc.) and effectively builds the relationships between characters through their actions (e.g., Tree Ear hides half his lunch each day for Crane-man, and Min's soft-hearted wife surreptitiously fills the bowl). She charts Tree Ear's transformation from apprentice to artist and portrays his selflessness during a pilgrimage to Songdo to show Min's work to the royal court he faithfully continues even after robbers shatter the work and he has only a single shard to show. Readers will not soon forget these characters or their sacrifices. Ages 10-14.
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
From School Library Journal
Gr 5-8-In this tale of courage and devotion, a single shard from a celadon vase changes the life of a young boy and his master. In 12th-century Korea, the village of Ch'ulp'o is famous for its pottery. The orphan Tree-ear spends his days foraging for food for himself and Crane-man, a lame straw weaver who has cared for him for many years. Because of his wanderings, Tree-ear is familiar with all of the potters in the village, but he is especially drawn to Min. When he drops a piece Min has made, Tree-ear begins to work for him to pay off his debt, but stays on after the debt is paid because he longs to learn to create beautiful pots himself. Sent to the royal court to show the king's emissary some new pottery, Tree-ear makes a long journey filled with disaster and learns what it means to have true courage. This quiet story is rich in the details of life in Korea during this period. In addition it gives a full picture of the painstaking process needed to produce celadon pottery. However, what truly stands out are the characters: the grumpy perfectionist, Min; his kind wife; wise Crane-man; and most of all, Tree-ear, whose determination and lively intelligence result in good fortune. Like Park's Seesaw Girl (1999) and The Kite Fighters (2000, both Clarion), this book not only gives readers insight into an unfamiliar time and place, but it is also a great story.-Barbara Scotto, Michael Driscoll School, Brookline, MA
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to the Hardcover edition. From BooklistGr. 4-8. When the polite greeting in a society is "Have you eaten well today?' one may guess that subsistence is of prime concern. Surely no one in this twelfth-century Korean village is more accustomed to hunger than the orphan boy Tree-ear and his guardian Crane-man who is lame. They sleep under a bridge in summer and in a pit in winter, eating what they can forage in the woods or garbage piles. At the age of 12, Tree-ear becomes an assistant to the potter Min. A hard taskmaster to himself and the boy, Min is the maker of the finest celadon ware in Ch'ul'po, a village known for its pottery. When Min entrusts two precious pots to Tree-ear to deliver to Songdo, the boy must make his way across miles of unknown territory, relying on his courage and wits to prove himself worthy of Min's trust. This quiet, but involving, story draws readers into a very different time and place. Though the society has its own conventions, the hearts and minds and stomachs of the characters are not so far removed from those of people today. Readers will feel the hunger and cold that Tree-ear experiences, as well as his shame, fear, gratitude, and love. A well-crafted novel with an unusual setting. Carolyn Phelan Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

This is a great book to use along with a unit on pottery. It will fit well in any unit on character, friendship, or apprenticeships. It can be used during an author’s study or when studying a social studies unit on Korea.