Another Band's Treasure: A Story of Recycled Instruments

by Hua Lin Xie, Hua Lin Xie (Illustrator)

Overview

In a small village in Paraguay, Diego dreams of giving music lessons to the children he sees each day. The only problem: there aren't enough instruments to go around.

But when he and Nicolas, a carpenter, look to a nearby landfill, they see instruments in the making. Soon, a paint can, a wooden plank, and a faucet knob become the start of a violin—and their recycled instruments give the kids in town new ways to express themselves.

Inspired by the true story of La Orquesta de Instrumentos Reciclados de Cateura, Hua Lin Xie's first graphic novel is a big-hearted ode to the power of music.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781728460376
Publisher:	Lerner Publishing Group
Publication date:	04/04/2023
Pages:	128
Product dimensions:	8.25(w) x 10.25(h) x (d)
Age Range:	9 - 10 Years

About the Author

Hua Lin Xie studied art and animation in Beijing, China, for four years before continuing her studies at the Émile Cohl School in Lyon, France, where she currently resides. Another Band's Treasure: A Story of Recycled Instruments (first published by Steinkis as Sous les déchets . . . la musique) is her first graphic novel.

Hua Lin Xie studied art and animation in Beijing, China, for four years before continuing her studies at the Émile Cohl School in Lyon, France, where she currently resides. Another Band's Treasure: A Story of Recycled Instruments (first published by Steinkis as Sous les déchets . . . la musique) is her first graphic novel.

Editorial Reviews

05/26/2023

Gr 3–6—Daniel and his sister, Ada, live outside the capital of Paraguay, where the community processes the materials of the city's landfill. Villager Diego decides to teach music to the local children to fill their time, as there is no formal school. He and Nicolas, a carpenter, build instruments out of the discarded raw material around them for the students to play. Credited as "inspired by the story of Favio Chavez," whose "recycled orchestra" initiative was dramatized in Susan Hood and Sally Wern Comport's Ada's Violin and the documentary Landfill Harmonic, Xie's adaptation focuses on how music can inspire joy and bring people together. Her pages foreground a male perspective, and readers initially see the community declaim music as an extravagance. The emotive power of instrumental performance is gradually valorized in how it reduces competitiveness, bullying, and rewards a practical, mechanical mind. Readers unfamiliar with the true story may wonder why Ada's tin-can violin is the only thing to be rendered in color in the pen-and-ink illustrations, giving it a power that is never mirrored in Diego's uplifting performances or Nicholas's steel-drum guitar—despite the latter actually being referred to as "magic." And, considering that Daniel is positioned as the transformed hero who returns home at the finale, the prominent depiction of Ada's violin is more puzzling than moving. VERDICT Xie's sparse fabrication of real events never successfully achieves the admittedly difficult task of visually depicting how music can touch the spirit. Small human moments abound, but the story's attempts to portray more sweeping emotions fall short.—Benjamin Russell

School Library Journal

02/20/2023

Based on the true story of a Paraguayan orchestra whose instruments were made from repurposed objects, Xie’s slim debut dips into the experience of finding joy and community through acts of creative expression. With no school in their village to attend, siblings Ada and Daniel spend their days dodging bullies and combing a landfill for toys. To give local children something creative to look forward to, guitarist Mr. Diego starts offering music lessons. The siblings long to enroll, but their mother believes that they should “find some real work” instead. Other villagers also deride Mr. Diego’s efforts, claiming that “music is for rich people.” But the lessons thrill the children, and when there aren’t enough instruments to go around, Mr. Diego’s friend, landfill worker Nicolas, fashions some from bottle caps, twine, oil drums, and myriad other paraphernalia, launching the youths toward new opportunities. Rough-hewn b&w illustrations and lean text convey a linear story that prioritizes a collective journey over individual character arcs. By rendering the recycled instruments in full color, Xie adds a welcome burst of verve while spotlighting the story’s unique hook. A brief note about the book’s inspiration, Favio Chávez and the Recycled Orchestra of Cateura, Paraguay, concludes. Ages 8–12. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

"The illustrations emote feelings of despair into hope and then excitement as the story is depicted. This engaging book can begin a project on creating musical instruments or other items from discarded materials. Reviewer Rating: 4" —Children's Literature

From the Publisher

2023-02-25
In this graphic novel inspired by actual events, a love of music blossoms unexpectedly in a small Paraguayan village surrounded by garbage.

What do the children do when their parents go to work? The village of Cateura has no school, so young people find other ways to fill their time. Frustrated at seeing some of the kids doing drugs, Mr. Diego, a local musician, decides to offer music lessons. The other adults are skeptical: “Music is for rich people!” Nevertheless, Mr. Diego posts flyers around town, welcoming anyone interested in learning. And many children appear, including siblings Daniel and Ada. As the class grows, Mr. Diego faces another issue: no money to buy instruments for all the students. Enter his carpenter friend Nicolas, who builds instruments out of pieces of scraps he finds at the dump (sometimes with help from the kids). Even the other adults begin to have hope in the music class. Soon, the mayor of the nearby capital of Asunción invites Mr. Diego’s budding orchestra for a performance. Translated from French, this spare, slightly fictionalized account of the story of Favio Chávez and La Orquesta de Instrumentos Reciclados de Cateura is infused with optimism. The muted, sober artwork foregrounds the subtle environmental message, with small bursts of color appearing during a crucial scene. All in all, it’s a story retold with evident admiration.

A gentle reminder of music’s might. (Graphic fiction. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews