Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Collection
Publication
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (2016), 40 pages
Description
A town built on a landfill. A community in need of hope. A girl with a dream. A man with a vision. An ingenious idea.
User reviews
LibraryThing member pataustin
Some books defy description that will do them justice, and this inspiring story of the triumph of the human spirit is one of them. It deserves a place in every library. Ada Rios grew up in abject poverty in a town where 1500 tons of trash were dumped every day and where recyclers scrounged anything
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salvageable. When Ada was 11, her grandmother saw a sign for music lessons and signed the children up. Without enough instruments, children couldn’t practice at home, so the teacher, Favio Chavez, began with the help of recyclers, making instruments from trash: “They transformed oil drums into cellos, water pipes into flutes, and packing crates into guitars!” Ada chose a violin. Without a classroom, Senor Chavez gave three-hour lessons outside, and they braved blistering heat and dodged downpours. Only the determined kept with it, as learning an instrument is hard, but their work paid off. Their orchestra performed first in their village of Cateura and then in other cities and countries. “The world dazzled them… just as they dazzled the world.” Embracing the notion of recycling in mixed media illustrations, which also dazzle, Sally Comport creates light-filled images that soar with a musicality all their own. An author’s note and more information provide websites with must-watch videos to see and hear these amazing musicians. Show Less
LibraryThing member Salsabrarian
Pair this book with the video of the "Landfill Harmonic" documentary preview and an activity of making shakers, drums, etc., out of recyclable materials.
LibraryThing member Lisa2013
Thanks to GR friend Crystal for letting me know about this book. I knew about this orchestra. I’d seen the 60 Minutes television story and had heard about the movie and had seen them in the news.
The last 3 pages of this book upped it to 5 stars for me. More information, photos, resources, and I
The true story is 5 stars without question. The way it was told, even though interviews with the founder & conductor and one of the musicians made up the basis for a lot of the text, was good, but something seemed lacking to me. Perhaps I would have liked to read a full length book about these people and this orchestra. What was presented whetted my appetite for more. The illustrations are wonderful in that they perfectly fit the story and their intricacy is interesting. While beautiful and I love how much there is to view, I’m not wild about their style, though I appreciate how they’re more sophisticated than the illustrations in many other children’s picture books.
I’d say this book is best for school aged kids, perhaps 5-10 and then all the way up. It’s a story/book that can be appreciated by both children and adults.
Be prepared for questions and some discussion about poverty, garbage & recycling, musical instruments, etc.
Reading this I felt inspired and uplifted, and a bit sad too.
Highly recommended, especially for musicians and artists & craftspeople, those who like to learn about other cultures, teachers, those who like reading about real life creative solutions to problems, and all who appreciate stories about people who make a difference.
4 ½ stars, rounded up because of the importance of the story
The last 3 pages of this book upped it to 5 stars for me. More information, photos, resources, and I
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was happy to see that the publisher had made a donation to the orchestra/community. The true story is 5 stars without question. The way it was told, even though interviews with the founder & conductor and one of the musicians made up the basis for a lot of the text, was good, but something seemed lacking to me. Perhaps I would have liked to read a full length book about these people and this orchestra. What was presented whetted my appetite for more. The illustrations are wonderful in that they perfectly fit the story and their intricacy is interesting. While beautiful and I love how much there is to view, I’m not wild about their style, though I appreciate how they’re more sophisticated than the illustrations in many other children’s picture books.
I’d say this book is best for school aged kids, perhaps 5-10 and then all the way up. It’s a story/book that can be appreciated by both children and adults.
Be prepared for questions and some discussion about poverty, garbage & recycling, musical instruments, etc.
Reading this I felt inspired and uplifted, and a bit sad too.
Highly recommended, especially for musicians and artists & craftspeople, those who like to learn about other cultures, teachers, those who like reading about real life creative solutions to problems, and all who appreciate stories about people who make a difference.
4 ½ stars, rounded up because of the importance of the story
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LibraryThing member RLeiphart
This is the inspiring story of Ada Rios, a child who grew up in one of the poorest slums in Paraguay. Her small town of Carteura received 15 tons of garbage a day. Her grandmother and father spent fourteen hours a day picking through the garbage dump for anything they might recycle and sell. Many
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children of poverty were forced to spend their days in the same way. One man, Favio Chavez, worried about the fate of these children. A musician himself, he taught the children how to make instruments from materials found in refuse, and gave them music lessons, often in blistering heat or rainy downpours. After many years of practice and perseverance, these children became an orchestra and this orchestra traveled the world performing and inspiring others. Monies raised were returned to their village to build safe housing for their families and to enlarge the music program. This is a great book to share during a unit on change-makers/heroes, recycling, or self-esteem. It can be used in the art curriculum as a springboard to making instruments from recycled materials. Show Less
LibraryThing member Robinsonstef
This is the true story of how a village turned garbage into music. Ada Rio’s family lives in Cateura, Paraguay. Her town is filled with trash and is actually built on a landfill. Many of the people in the village go through the garbage collecting items, like plastic, which they can trade in for
The bright colors and textured illustrations really draw in the reader. The recycled instruments and scenes were enhanced by the collage style used to create the pages. My heart goes out to the people who live in Carteura, and I know how upset I get when I see litter, so I can only imagine how hard it would be to see so much garbage everywhere. I loved learning how music and the creation of instruments from the materials they salvaged changed their lives. The kids worked hard and learned how to make music, and even though it was not easy, they didn't give up. Their perseverance ended up being able to change their village and the lives of many people in it. Together they made our planet prettier and filled it with good tunes. So often we want something brand new from the store, but if we reuse and recycle, there is less waste and we can help make our planet a more beautiful place.
Ada’s Violin: The True Story of the Recycled Orchestra of Paraguay is an excellent picture book for anyone who likes to learn about people who are making the world a better place. It's a great story to introduce to children that will inspire creativity and to show them what life is like in different places. I especially loved that the Recycled Orchestra of Paraguay toured with bands like Metallica and earned money to help build houses in their village. Such an inspiration!
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money. Then Favio Chavez arrives and starts teaching about ecological safety, and before long he brings music to the children. When there aren’t enough instruments for everyone who wants to play, he works with them to make unique ones out of the garbage all around. Playing music is hard work, but the children that stick with it learn and get better. Soon the Recycled Orchestra of Paraguay is on tour, seeing new places, and even being asked to play with famous rock bands, like Metallica. Music truly changes lives.The bright colors and textured illustrations really draw in the reader. The recycled instruments and scenes were enhanced by the collage style used to create the pages. My heart goes out to the people who live in Carteura, and I know how upset I get when I see litter, so I can only imagine how hard it would be to see so much garbage everywhere. I loved learning how music and the creation of instruments from the materials they salvaged changed their lives. The kids worked hard and learned how to make music, and even though it was not easy, they didn't give up. Their perseverance ended up being able to change their village and the lives of many people in it. Together they made our planet prettier and filled it with good tunes. So often we want something brand new from the store, but if we reuse and recycle, there is less waste and we can help make our planet a more beautiful place.
Ada’s Violin: The True Story of the Recycled Orchestra of Paraguay is an excellent picture book for anyone who likes to learn about people who are making the world a better place. It's a great story to introduce to children that will inspire creativity and to show them what life is like in different places. I especially loved that the Recycled Orchestra of Paraguay toured with bands like Metallica and earned money to help build houses in their village. Such an inspiration!
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LibraryThing member AbigailAdams26
Author Susan Hood and illustrator Sally Wern Comport join forces in this immensely moving look at Paraguay's 'Recycled Orchestra,' a symphony made up of children from one of South America's poorest slums, playing instruments created from trash items taken from the dump around which their village
Although I have been aware of Ada's Violin: The Story of the Recycled Orchestra of Paraguay since its publication back in 2016, and although I am interested in the subject, I never seem to have gotten around to it until now. I'm glad I finally did, as I found it to be an immensely moving and inspirational book, pairing a story that had me tearing up on more than one occasion with gorgeous mixed media artwork that had me poring over the pages. The style of artwork created by Sally Wern Comport here - she used collage, acrylic glazes and paints, drawing and digital media - is well-suited to the story, as it incorporates various recycled objects (like bits of paper) into the visuals. So too did Ada and her friends incorporate found objects into their instruments, creating music and art from something that others found useless. The story highlights the resilience of the human spirit and the creativity of the human mind, as people with almost nothing find a way to make the world around them more beautiful. I was pleased to learn, in the extensive afterword, that the orchestra has raised money to improve the lives of the people of Cateura. As someone who is a fan of the rock band Metallica, I was also pleased to discover that the orchestra performed with them, in a massive concert in Colombia. Kudos to Metallica for having them as an opening act - I will definitely be seeking out the video of that performance, as well as the 60 Minutes special devoted to the orchestra. Highly recommended to picture-book readers looking for stories about poverty, creativity, recycling and making music.
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was built. The story focuses on Ada Ríos, a young girl in Cateura, a village of gancheros (recyclers) that sprung up beside the main trash dump for Paraguay's capital city of Asunción. Part of a music-loving family, Ada had little chance to pursue this subject until engineer and amateur musician Favio Chávez came to town, offering free lessons to the children there. When there weren't enough instruments to go around, Chávez and the children had to get creative, making their own homemade instruments from what they could find. Learning to play together, the orchestra improved, eventually giving their first concert. Ada herself was made first violin, and the group became better and better known, garnering invitations to play, not just in other cities, but in other countries as well...Although I have been aware of Ada's Violin: The Story of the Recycled Orchestra of Paraguay since its publication back in 2016, and although I am interested in the subject, I never seem to have gotten around to it until now. I'm glad I finally did, as I found it to be an immensely moving and inspirational book, pairing a story that had me tearing up on more than one occasion with gorgeous mixed media artwork that had me poring over the pages. The style of artwork created by Sally Wern Comport here - she used collage, acrylic glazes and paints, drawing and digital media - is well-suited to the story, as it incorporates various recycled objects (like bits of paper) into the visuals. So too did Ada and her friends incorporate found objects into their instruments, creating music and art from something that others found useless. The story highlights the resilience of the human spirit and the creativity of the human mind, as people with almost nothing find a way to make the world around them more beautiful. I was pleased to learn, in the extensive afterword, that the orchestra has raised money to improve the lives of the people of Cateura. As someone who is a fan of the rock band Metallica, I was also pleased to discover that the orchestra performed with them, in a massive concert in Colombia. Kudos to Metallica for having them as an opening act - I will definitely be seeking out the video of that performance, as well as the 60 Minutes special devoted to the orchestra. Highly recommended to picture-book readers looking for stories about poverty, creativity, recycling and making music.
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Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2016
Physical description
40 p.; 10 inches
ISBN
1481430955 / 9781481430951