highwater press

On a visit to her granny, Maggie is excited to begin her first-ever beading project: a pair of strawberry earrings. However, beading is much harder than she expected! As they work side by side, Granny shares how beading helped her persevere and stay connected to her Anishinaabe culture when she lost her Indian status, forcing her out of her home community--all because she married someone without status, something the men of her community could do freely.

As she learns about patience and perseverance from her granny’s teachings, Maggie discovers that beading is a journey, and like every journey, it’s easier with a loved one at her side.

In this beautifully illustrated book, children learn about the tradition of Anishinaabe beadwork, strawberry teachings, and gender discrimination in the Indian Act.

Jenny Kay Dupuis (she/her/hers) is a sought-after public speaker, best-selling author, educator, and accomplished Woodland pop artist whose focus is raising awareness about Indigenous realities. She is well-known for her exceptional knowledge of Indigenous care theories, leadership models, and engagement frameworks, and has shared this expertise to support corporations, non-governmental organizations, school districts, and post-secondary institutions around the world in shifting their organizational practices.

As co-author of the award-winning children’s book I Am Not a Number, Jenny Kay shared her granny’s experiences at a residential school in Canada. Her latest book for children, Heart Berry Bling, brings together some of her own experiences and those of many others to highlight how the rights of thousands of First Nations women were taken by the Indian Act.

A certified teacher and learning strategist, Jenny Kay holds her Bachelor of Arts in History and Visual Arts, Bachelor of Education, Master of Education in Special Education, and Doctorate in Educational Leadership. Jenny Kay is a member of Nipissing First Nation and lives in Toronto, Ontario. Follow her on social media @jennykaydupuis.

Eva Campbell (she/her/hers) is an artist, illustrator, and teacher who lives in Victoria, British Columbia. Her work has been exhibited around the world, including in Canada, the United States, Barbados, and Ghana. She won the Children’s Africana Book Award for her illustrations in The Matatu, by Eric Walters, and the Lillian Shepherd Memorial Award for Excellence in Illustration for Africville, by Shauntay Grant. Her vibrant illustrations in Heart Berry Bling capture the warmth of the relationship between Granny and Maggie.