I want to rest inside a sunrise dream
an endless stretch of sea and sand and foam
I want to go
go where butterflies dance like children
Apples and Butterflies is a gentle, lyrical poem about a family's autumn vacation and shows Prince Edward Island in a light we don't often see—the bright blue and orange light of fall. Tamara Thiébaux-Heikalo's rich and wild illustrations build a narrative with the text, showing us the family beachcombing, flying kites, and picking apples. Shauntay Grant's award-winning poetry makes the reader long to go with her, and conveys the wide-open space of the island, where you can
breathe air that tastes like apples:
red
ripe
and ready for picking.
Shauntay Grant is a writer and performance artist based in Halifax. Up Home won the 2009 Atlantic Book Award for Best Published Book, and was shortlisted for the 2010 Hackmatack Children's Choice Book Awards. Shauntay served as Halifax's third Poet Laureate from 2009 to 2011. Her other honours include a Poet of Honour Prize from Spoken Word Canada, and a Joseph S. Stauffer Prize in Writing and Publishing. She teaches creative writing at Dalhousie University.
A young girl narrator describes a family getaway to Prince Edward Island in this charmingly illustrated picture book with poetic touches. Following a refrain of “I want to,” she relates scenarios such as “I want to rest inside a sunrise dream / an endless stretch of sea and sand and foam.” Here, we see her joyfully greeting a swirly pastel sky. The lyrical text, with only a few lines per page, is simply constructed, though it’s occasionally esoteric for kids—for instance, “I just want to breathe / breathe air that tastes like apples: / red / ripe.” Nonetheless, the intricate, vibrant artwork incorporates playful and evocative elements, and the warm portrayal of a family appreciating nature’s wonders and sharing in familiar activities like walking the beach or picking apples may inspire readers to dream or reminisce about their own vacations with, as the girl says, “no alarm clocks / and no chores . . . only time / lots and lots of time.”
This edition is not currently available in bookstores. Check your local library or search for used copies at Abebooks.