Book excerpt: Little Aryn just loves her beads and braids. She has beads of all shapes and colors. Wearing these hairstyles are a rite of passage for a lot of little African-American girls. Beads & Braids is a colorful, magical, heart-warming story about the courage little Aryn has while journeying through cancer and discovering true beauty and magic in the absence of her hair. An empowering ode to children everywhere to embrace your beauty within. This is the perfect gift for mothers and daughters, children experiencing illness, baby showers, and birthdays.This book is EXACTLY what any child's at-home, school, and neighborhood library is missing. Young Aryn wants each and every kid to know that with or without hair, you too can find and love the beauty that shines from inside your heart.