Ada's Violin: The Story of the Recycled Orchestra of Paraguay

(Hardback)

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Description

From award-winning author Susan Hood and illustrator Sally Wern Comport comes the extraordinary true tale of the Recycled Orchestra of Paraguay, an orchestra made up of children playing instruments built from recycled trash.

Ada Ros grew up in Cateura, a small town in Paraguay built on a landfill. She dreamed of playing the violin, but with little money for anything but the bare essentials, it was never an option...until a music teacher named Favio Chvez arrived. He wanted to give the children of Cateura something special, so he made them instruments out of materials found in the trash. It was a crazy idea, but one that would leave Adaand her townforever changed. Now, the Recycled Orchestra plays venues around the world, spreading their message of hope and innovation.

Reviews

"The mixed-media collages are a particular effective medium for this true story, layering images of Ada and the orchestra over the landfill. The nuances of the subject may strike a stronger chord with adults rather than children, but the interesting visuals and the underlying message of hope and perseverance should help this find an audience." -- Booklist
"Comport's complex, digitally enhanced collages combine acrylics, drawing, and layered typographic elements, conveying both the oppressive omnipresence of garbage and the functional beauty of the handcrafted instruments. . . . Pair with the suggested video links to experience the music of a remarkable, resilient cultural community. " -- Kirkus Reviews
*A virtuoso piece of nonfiction, gloriously told and illustrated. -- School Library Journal, Starred Review
* Comport (Love Will See You Through) employs a vibrant collage techniqueto form colorful, almost ethereal backdrops. . .[An] uplifting, instructive story. -- Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
"The illustrations, compilations of torn paper, paint, and pen and ink illustrations, add to the feeling of being within the landfill, and are a beautiful representation of the location...Highly Recommended." -- School Library Connection
Recipient of the E.B. White Read Aloud Award

Author Bio

Susan Hood is the award-winning author of many books for young readers, includingAdas Violin,Alias Anna,Harboring Hope,The Last Straw,Lifeboat 12, andShaking Things Up. Susan is the recipient of the E.B. White Honor Award, two Christopher Awards, the Amricas Award, the SCBWI Golden Kite Award, and two Bank Street Flora Stieglitz Straus Awards, given to a distinguished work of nonfiction that serves as an inspiration to young people. In addition to winning many state reading awards, Susans books have been named a National Jewish Book Awards finalist, a Sydney Taylor Notable Book, a NCTE Notable Poetry Book, a NSTA Best Stem Book of the Year, an Amazon Teachers Pick, a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection, and a Bank Street Best Book of the Year. Visit her at SusanHoodBooks.com.

Sally Wern Comport has illustrated numerous picture books and novels, includingLove Will See You Through: Martin Luther King Jr.s Six Guiding Beliefs (as told by his niece);Brave Margaret: An Irish Adventure;Hanging Off Jeffersons Nose: Growing Up on Mt. Rushmore; and the Spy Mice series. She has also translated her picture making skills to various large-scale public, private, and institutional artworks. Sally lives with her husband and two daughters in Annapolis, Maryland, where she operates Art at Large Inc. Learn more at ArtAtLargeInc.com.