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

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

Susan Hood

Why we picked it

This true story follows kids in a Paraguayan landfill town who craft instruments from trash and create a world-famous orchestra that tours internationally.

Our review

True story of kids in a landfill town who craft instruments from trash and create a world-famous orchestra. Mixed-media illustrations echo the theme of turning waste into beauty. Sidebars detail how violins from oil cans actually sound, sparking STEM/art crossover projects. An uplifting lesson in resilience, creativity, and environmental stewardship.

About this book

From the product listing

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 Ríos 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 Chávez 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 Ada—and her town—forever changed. Now, the Recycled Orchestra plays venues around the world, spreading their message of hope and innovation.


Resource details

Resource type
Book
Age ranges
Elementary
Careers
Musician
Good for kids who are
Artistic, Enterprising
Based on its careers · What is RIASEC?
Author
Susan Hood