Firing the Imagination with Facts

In this children's nonfiction book, the author shares all kinds of information about clay, from its beginnings as magma through to finished kiln-fired pieces of different types. The illustrations are rudimentary but effective in most places; they are also very colorful, easily drawing the eye. The information is surprisingly detailed, with lots of explanations of processes and terms used with clay and clay work. The book did have some issues with grammar, punctuation, and usage. For instance, magma is not a counting noun, so the word “magmas” should not be used as it was several times in this book. If, however, you have a child who is interested in clay herself or himself... or you want to introduce the wonders of it because you are a clay artist yourself, this book could artfully explain what it is, from its origins through its various artistic and practical purposes.

The Magic of Clay is one of those non-fiction books that is informative and engaging. I would definitely recommend purchasing this for school libraries and classrooms as it's the type of book that can be read in elementary and middle grades as readers learn how rocks and minerals are transformed into ceramic masterpieces.

This was a lovely book and quite unlike anything I’ve read. It was very informative and beautifully written and illustrated. My kids and I enjoyed reading this together.

How many times have you made something out of clay, whether for fun or for an art class? And how many times did you think about from where it comes? I have used it many times over the years and lived for a several years in an area where the ground was clay and not the sand like where I had grown up. But I have never really consciously put the two together. This book takes you through all of that, where it comes from and how potters use it. You learn the science behind its geological nature. You learn the technical terms, just like we learned in art class.

The illustrations are reminiscent of an Eric Carle style.

It's an interesting book for those who are interested in pottery. Perhaps they will be inspired to try to make something new after reading it.

Thank you to the publisher for fulfilling my review request via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Having taken plenty of clay art classes with my kids, it was very informative to learn about clay in this book. The material covered was very interesting and the illustrations were vivid and engaging.

I received an advanced reader copy of this book to read in exchange for an honest review via netgalley and the publishers.

This book is a fantastic book for children and adults alike to learn about clay.
I learnt so many fantastic facts and interesting geographical and scientific pieces of information from this book and children interested in the ins and outs of things will love this book!
This is a fantastic book for any educator to have in their classroom and I will be looking at purchasing a paper copy to add to my class.