Haiti My Country. Poems by Haitian Schoolchildren. Illustrated by Rogé. Translated by Solange Messier. Markham, ON: Fifth House, 2014. 44 pp., pbk., $14.95. ISBN 978-1-92708-323-9. Grade 3-7 / Ages 8-12. Review by Inderjit Deogun. ***˝ /4

Haiti, My Country is a collection of 15 poems written by Haitian schoolchildren living in the Haitian municipality of Camp Perrin. Readers will journey through a country filled with colour, hope and resilience. Though the collection covers the earthquakes, cyclones and floods of recent years, the focus remains Haiti’s natural beauty.

Magnificent country becomes
Broken land
All smiles are lost

     While a majority of the poems are light in tone, a few of the students are heartbreakingly honest in describing the reality of their lives and nation. A portrait of the teenaged poet accompanies each poem. Illustrated by Rogé, these striking portraits give each piece a heartbeat and soul. They provide the reader with the opportunity to contemplate not only the words but also the writer.

While looking up to the mountains
They become neighbours to the sky
That carry the banner of our hope
Into another tomorrow, another sunrise

     Haiti, My Country is a deeply poignant poetry collection that will introduce young readers to both an unfamiliar land and their own potential as poets.

Highly Recommended.

Inderjit Deogun is a communications professional in Toronto, ON.

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Published by The Manitoba Library Association ISSN 1201-9364

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