Center for Latin American Studies

"Pretty flowers in my country are for me 
Like pink butterflies 
That smile at the sun" 
— Judes-Roldes

For several months, Quebec illustrator Rogé prepared a series of portraits of Haitian children. Students of Camp Perrin wrote the accompanying poems, which create, with flowing consistency, Haiti, my country.

These teenaged poets use the Haitian landscape as their easel. The nature that envelops them is quite clearly their main subject.

While misery often storms through Haiti in the form of earthquakes, cyclones, or floods, these young men and women see their surrounding nature as assurance for a joyful, confident future.

First published in French in 2010 as Haïti mon pays. It won several awards and nominations, including:

• Governor General Finalist 2011 (children's illustration category)
• Communication-Jeunesse Selection
• Lauréat Prix Saint Exupéry 2011 (French category)
• Lauréat Prix Applied Arts 2011 (illustrations category)
• Lauréat Prix Illustration Lux 2011 (book category)
• White Ravens Selection 2012