Another Band’s Treasure: A Story of Recycled Instruments

Illustrated by Hua Lin Xie

“The Recycled Orchestra went on to play all over the world, changing the lives of the young people born near the landfill. More and more people become invested and involved in this project, even founding a music school.”

Another Band’s Treasure: A Story of Recycled Instruments is a graphic novel based on the origin story of La Orquesta de Instrumentos Reciclados de Cateura. The narrative takes place in a small community in Paraguay located near a landfill. Their village has no school, so the children spend their time exploring the landfill or, more foolishly, getting into trouble. In order to help, a local musician named Diego and a carpenter named Nicolas work together to create a music program for the children. Diego teaches them how to play, while Nicolas crafts instruments from old tin cans, keys, wires, and whatever spare parts he can scavenge. These recycled instruments not only gift the children with a musical education, but they also teach them an important lesson about reusing discarded objects and engaging in collective climate action.

This graphic novel can inspire conversations about the practices of both recycling and upcycling. Moreover, the proximity of this rural community to the landfill implies that there are connections between class and environmental pollution and health effects. This underlying theme can serve as a catalyst for larger conversations about climate change and wealth inequality. Another Band’s Treasure also emphasizes the importance of the arts—even (and especially) in a capitalist society. Two of the central characters, siblings Ada and Daniel, initially hide their desire to learn music. Their mother doesn’t see the value in creative pursuits, and she encourages them to seek “real work.” Eventually, however, music is shown to be a harmonizing, inclusive force for everyone—no matter their background.

Because the story is based on real events, readers might be inspired to learn more about the Cateura Orchestra and even create their own instruments from found objects. Additionally, due to the visual nature of the book, teachers can encourage students to analyze aspects of the text like linework and coloring as they further communicate the narrative’s environmental themes.

©2025 ClimateLit (Anelise Haukaas)

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Publisher: Graphic Universe, 2023

Audience: Ages 8-13

ISBN: 978-1-7284-7823-4

Pages: 128

Format: Comics and Graphic Novels

Topics: Capitalism, Climate Change, Collective Climate Action, Landfills, Pollution, Recycling, Reuse, Upcycling, Waste Management, Wealth Inequality