Tessa loves how her grandmother always smells of campfire stories. Mom says it’s because Kohkom spends her days sewing beautiful beads onto smoked hides. Inspired, Tessa asks Kohkom to teach her beading, but first she must listen and learn about the many stories held in a bead.
A celebration of Cree craftsmanship, language, and learning. The loving exchange of knowledge between Tessa and her Kohkom will be familiar to many children. Readers will learn that different Indigenous communities have different beadwork techniques, and that this traditional art form is alive and thriving today.
"The story is a beautiful look into the importance of beading in our communities and the ways that this art practice ties us together as families and communities."
"Delight beckons from the cover to the last page of What’s in a Bead?. Rich in visual details and told from the perspective of Tessa, a First Nations girl (Cree), What’s in a Bead? documents educational, social, and cultural practices of beading in her family and community. It contains colour-rich, carefully rendered visual images, beaded objects, and ceremonies related to beading.... Recommended."
"Culture is at the core of everything Kelsey Borgford creates."
"A colourful new book will have children reading about close family relationships, the art of beading in different Indigenous communities, and Cree artisanship and language. Aimed at six to eight-year old children, the story is told from the viewpoint of the main character Tessa who loves and learns from her kokum."
"Nbisiing Nishnaabe author Borgford approaches the history with sensitivity while interspersing Cree vocabulary into scenes of a close-knit family passing on knowledge. Cree illustrator Pizzale, meanwhile, captures the straightforward text in boldly colored illustrations filled with details of a long-held tradition."
“Written by a Nbisiing Nishnaabe author, What’s in a Bead? shares indigenous words and customs alongside clear, bold illustrations.”
"Featuring a long-standing tribal tradition, What’s in a Bead? by Kelsey Borgford highlights the special relationship between a young girl and her grandmother. Tessa’s curiosity leads Kohtom to teach her the history and importance of beads in their culture."