Ada's Violin: The Story of the Recycled Orchestra of Paraguay by S. Hood

Abstract

Hood, Susan. Ada's Violin: The Story of the Recycled Orchestra of Paraguay, illustrated by Sally Wern Comport. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2016.

Ada’s Violin is a picture book recounting the creation of the Recycled Orchestra in Cateura, Paraguay, particularly as it relates to the experiences of one member—Ada. The reader will be struck by Sally Wern Comport’s style of art which uses a form of mixed and recycled media—often resembling a scrapbook—that well reflects the nature of the orchestra as one made of recycled waste products. The motif of torn up musical manuscript paper floating through the pages visually connects the central role of music in the story. The colours are bright and saturated, lending itself to the multi-coloured world the story represents. The story presents strong positive values to children who may be beginning studies in music or are already involved. For example, the music teacher’s assertion that “It doesn’t matter if one is rich or poor, ugly, fat, thin—you cannot learn to play an instrument overnight,” is a powerful message to children who may be struggling as they learn an instrument. The whole of the story also gives the sense that you can make your way in the world and change your life even if you do not live in the best of circumstances.

Despite these positive traits, the book does not seem like it would be entirely immersive for a child. While the story is clearly being written for a younger audience, the use of more difficult terms like “sweltering” and “nurturing” without good context clues could make the book difficult for children to read on their own. Additionally, words from the orchestra’s native language, Spanish, while effective for bringing the story into the context of Paraguay, are inconsistently glossed and may cause confusion for young readers. The story itself is not continuously engaging in that the titular character, Ada, is not consistently part of the story. There are times when the narrative of her experiences is broken by a narrative about the orchestra, and the story does not even end with Ada’s insights but rather, a general expression of the orchestra’s achievements. Furthermore, quotation marks are used to indicate direct quotes from Ada which the author gained from interviews with her—a decision that offers compelling material but makes the text feel more like an essay than a children’s story. These factors of language and narrative cause the book to sound like an adult writing about children rather than writing the story for children. Overall, this is an interesting book documenting an unusual subject, and for that reason it would be a good addition to school and public libraries.

Recommended with Reservations: 2 stars out of 4
Reviewer:  Arwen Thysse

Arwen Thysse is a University of Alberta student in her final year of a Bachelor of Arts in History and English. She is also an avid musician who plays the violin, and enjoys children’s books.