One Little Bag: an amazing journey by Henry Cole. unpgd. Scholastic Press/ Scholastic Inc., April 7, 2020. 9781338359978. (Review of finished copy courtesy of publisher, ALAMW.)
Let me tell you right off the bat that I adore this book! One, it's wordless. Two, the illustrations evoke such a sense of aching nostalgia. Three, while there's the nostalgia, the story is so, so timely. Four, it's Henry freaking Cole for crying out loud! I am such a fan.
Recently someone posted a query somewhere of examples where a story starts before the title page. I didn't pay that much attention because nothing sprang immediately to mind. Knock, knock on the computer screen. This one!
One Little Bag starts on the end-pages with a pen and ink drawing of serene woods. There are four turkey vultures ambling through the forest with one lone tree colored light brown. The page-turn reveals that this tree has been harvested and has been loaded with others onto the bed of a truck, which is headed to the paper mill. Spot art on the following page shows the process of these logs being ground up and processed, page-turn, into paper, which, page turn is eventually turned into Hart-felt paper bags. There is one final double-page spread that shows a grocery store featuring a man and his young son checking out their groceries while others wait with full carts and a delivery man is carting in a supply of the Hart-felt paper bags.
The title page shows the man walking while the young boy bikes. The paper bag sits in his bike basket. In it is a flashlight. (Remember this for a later spread.) That bag gets reused the following day as a lunch bag. Dad is making lunch. A heart has been added to it. It is the first day of school. Spot art on the following page shows the boy eating alone but gradually joined by other children. Oh my heart!
The paper bag comes in handy in a number of different ways over the following spreads. Then suddenly, the boy is grown. A series of spot art ingeniously depicts this transition. And he's off to college with his guitar and his bag and his dad bidding him good-bye. He meets a like-minded musician and love blossoms. And that rumpled, crumpled paper bag is there through all of it.
Okay, I won't go through every spread. You get the idea. This is a book to be savored. To be reread multiple times. To be shared widely. Each time I reread this gem, I find a new detail that I missed earlier. Seriously, these spreads invite pausing and poring. Don't rush.
So if the story of unconditional love didn't grab you, surely the idea of the paper bag as touchstone will. If that doesn't, then check out Coles' author note and dedication. He spoke about the impact that the first Earth Day had on him. Teachers looking for a fresh angle on conservation can add this to the rotation.
One Little Bag is a keeper. It is a first purchase for every school and public library. It's a gift book. Do yourself a favor and share it with a young person ASAP.
Ada's Violin: the story of the Recycled Orchestra of Paraguay by Susan Hood. Illustrated by Sally Wern Comport. unpgd. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, May, 2016. 9781481430951. (Review from finished copy won in a blog giveaway.)
Rambling Review Alert!
A couple of reviews ago, I lamented my inability to keep up with the output of children's literature. So many gems gone unread. Today, I am mourning the loss of my news hound self. Once upon a time, I read a couple of newspapers practically cover-to-cover. Once upon a time, I listened to NPR so constantly, I often listened to segments two and three times as it recycled through the day. Once upon a time, I regularly watched not only nightly news, but sought out weekly news shows like 60 Minutes and CBS Sunday. Now, I skim my newspapers and audiobooks fill my driving time. And I hardly ever watch television so it's no surprise that I missed this.
And it's not a surprise that I did not know about Ada's Violin and might not have had I not won it along with every other book Christian Trimmer edited. Talk about overflowing with riches! Thanks again Christian!
Judy Freeman once, okay, many times, has said, "I learn so many interesting things from picture books!" "So true, Judy," says this "never too old for picture books" gal. I adore informational picture books. Well done ones present little nuggets of information to nibble on, ponder, wonder and inspire further reading. I adore this book. Each time I return to it, I love it more.
Ada lives with her sister in a slum that was built around a garbage dump. Garbage from the city of Asuncion, Paraguay. The residents of Caleura make their living by picking through the tons of garbage to collect anything that can be recycled. Ada and her sister attend school but she and her parents and grandmother worry about her future, especially as she reaches her teenage years. She sees hopeless teens joining gangs. When Favio Chavez posts a notice about free music lessons, Ada's grandmother signs them up without asking.
Ten children show up for the first class but Chavez has only six instruments. Unfortunately, that is not the only problem. He realizes that since the instruments cost as much as a house, they are not safe from theft so he devises a way to make the instruments out of recycled material with Nicolas Gomez and Tito Romero. "They transformed oil drums into cellos, water pipes into flutes and packing crates into guitars!" Talk about ingenuity!
The students really had to commit. They had three hour lessons and since they had no classroom, they played outside, often in 100+ degree heat. The children were expected to practice at home. Ada would practice for two hours. Talk about grit!
The lessons went beyond music. Señor Chavez expect them to respect him, themselves and each other. Some dropped out but in time the Recycled Orchestra was born. The rest of the population benefited. "Gancheros trudging home from the landfill might lift their heads to hear the sounds of Ada's violin...or the strains of Bebi's cello... or the strum of Noélia's guitar. A symphony of sound helped to lift them beyond the heat, the stench and their aching backs."
The mixed media collages are absolutely perfect, vibrant hues, and bits of labels, newspaper and such to add texture, depth and interest. Sally Wern Comport managed to convey the deplorable living conditions along but also imbues her subjects with light and hope.
Back-matter includes an author's note, a color photograph of the orchestra and their instruments and websites and videos, which should definitely be shared with your students. These children play magnificently. The final page includes source notes, a quote from Margaret Mead, a photograph of some instruments up close and a note stating that Simon & Schuster is making a donation the to orchestra and an invitation for readers to do the same.
Ada's Violin is surely, a must-purchase title for all ages. Add the title to your #WNDB list and share widely.
