A Grain of Sand

Carol-Ann Hoyte is a children’s bookseller in Montreal and the
regional co-ordinator for the TD Canadian Children’s Book Week.

William Blake’s poem “Auguries of Innocence,” penned in 1794,
inspired Page’s poem “A Grain of Sand.” Therefore it is no
surprise to find Page’s work nestled between excerpts of “Auguries
of Innocence.” In a mere 18 lines, the author pays an inspiring and
moving tribute to the world of a child’s imagination. Her decision to
make the natural world the theme of her work is an appropriate one, as
nature is a continual source of amazement and enjoyment for children.

The artwork takes up a lot more space than the text; this is not a
problem, however, because the power of this poem does not lie in the
size in which its words appear on the pages but rather in the words
themselves. Vladyana Krykorka’s gentle paintings contain motion and a
magical spirit, while her colours gracing the endpapers are
representative and reminiscent of the colours in which one can find
various types of sand. Highly recommended.