Kode's Quest(ion): A Story of Respect

Kode’s class is learning about the Seven Teachings, but she’s still confused about Respect. Kode asks the wisest people she knows for help―her parents, her older siblings, and her grandparents. As each person gives her a different answer, Kode learns about the many different ways we can show respect for other people, for the environment, and for ourselves.

In this story for young readers, an Anishinaabe girl explores what respect means and how to be a respectful member of a community. A pronunciation guide for the Anishnaabemowin words can be found at the back of the book.

Rich in culture and grounded in traditional knowledge, Katherena Vermette’s The Seven Teachings Stories series features themes of love, wisdom, humility, courage, respect, honesty, and truth. Contemporary Indigenous children explore the Seven Teachings of the Anishinaabe through stories of home and family that will look familiar to all young readers in these books for ages 3–5.

katherena vermette (she/her/hers) is a Red River Métis (Michif) writer from Treaty 1 territory, the heart of the Métis Nation, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

In 2013, her first book, North End Love Songs (The Muses’ Company) won the Governor General’s Literary Award for Poetry. Since then, her work has garnered awards and critical accolades across genres. Her novels The Break (House of Anansi) and The Strangers (Hamish Hamilton) were both national best sellers and won multiple literary awards.

She is the author of numerous other bestselling titles, including the A Girl Called Echo series (HighWater Press) and the Seven Teachings Stories series (HighWater Press).

Irene Kuziw graduated from the University of Manitoba School of Art. Over the years, she has worked in galleries, museums, and schools. As a freelance artist, she has been commissioned for countless portraits and illustrations, and her work has been exhibited in numerous art shows. After taking early retirement and moving to the Interlake region of Manitoba, Irene is now able to devote her time to doing what she loves – drawing. Always seen with a pencil in her hand, she explores the abstraction of reality, whether it be the human face or the animal spirit.