Sounds of Trash

DIY saves the day in Athaide and Rawat’s upbeat STEAM story. When it’s announced that a community block party will be moved to a venue that lacks power, a trio of children lament “No electricity meant no booming bhangra beats” until an elder suggests they solve the problem themselves. Evenly paced storytelling traces the kids’ day-by-day process as they orchestrate a plan to create their own instruments. After brainstorming and sketching, they repurpose recyclables into shakers (“Raúl poured pebbles into coffee tins. They rattled”), drums (“Mira’s shredded-paper brushes rustled”), and sitars (“Pran’s sitar TWANGED and VIBRATED”). Coupled with contributions from inspired neighbors, the results make for an event marked by “a marvelous mash, all these sounds made from trash.” Employing muted coloring, digital cartooning incorporates music notes and prototype schematics throughout an enthusiastic tale of invention that eagerly highlights creative problem-solving. A Spanish-language edition publishes simultaneously. Characters are portrayed with various abilities and skin tones. Back matter includes a design-process workflow.
—Publishers Weekly

A diverse trio of kids recycles and experiments to create instruments that will enliven the community block party. Pran, Raul, and Mira make lists and sketches and brainstorm the materials required to make their instruments. They gather supplies from other people’s trash and assemble shakers, drums, and stringed (rubber-banded) music makers from different materials that produce different sounds. Their industriousness is observed by neighbors, who are inspired to make their own instruments for what turns out to be a rocking block party. This simple story, told economically and descriptively, neatly encourages recycling while demonstrating the engineering design process. Digitally created cartoon illustrations capture the kids’ enthusiasm and the many iterations in their planning process. They show that the project is doable and within the capabilities of the intended audience. Back matter includes a glossary, information about sound and the design process, and additional sound-related activities. VERDICT A useful resource for lessons on recycling and problem-solving; this will inspire readers who like crafts or making music.
—School Library Journal

Tina Athaide is an educator and children’s book author who wrote the middle grade novel Orange For The Sunsets, which was awarded the Geoffrey Bilson Award by the Canadian Children’s Book Council, and Wings to Soar, as well as picture book Meena’s Mindful Moment. Tina was born in Uganda and emigrated to London and then Canada and now lives in Southern California.

Neha Rawat is a children’s book author-illustrator from India who loves stories that explore emotions, relationships, humor, culture, and diversity. She has illustrated many books, including Zuni and the Memory Jar, Masala Chai, Fast and Slow, and Buddha and the Rose.

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