WHAT'S IN A BEAD?

In this heartwarming intergenerational story, an Indigenous girl learns how to bead from her grandmother.

Kohkom greets Tessa and her mom in Cree when they arrive, and Tessa offers her grandmother a tobacco tie before asking if she’ll teach her to bead. Kohkom agrees. Beading tells “stories about who we are,” she explains. “We [keep] beading…to make sure our ways [aren’t] lost forever.” Tessa learns about the importance of beading and how different Indigenous people use the art form to express their identities. Kohkom shows Tessa that beaded Anishinaabe moccasins look different from Cree ones. Borgford (Nbisiing Nishnaabe) uses dialogue to convey a strong bond between grandmother and grandchild. Depicting a contemporary Native family, Pizzale (Cree) incorporates designs and vivid colors. Complementing the gentle text, the illustrations include small touches: a heart shape in a strand of thread, earrings dangling in a jewelry box, the northern lights glistening in the distance, geese flying in the background. The use of detail helps readers connect with Native culture. Readers can decipher potentially unfamiliar words in context, though a glossary might have been helpful.

A delicate tribute to beading and storytelling, connecting the past, present, and future of Native communities.