Athaide, Tina. Sounds of Trash. Neha Rawat, Illus. Steam Works. Charlesbridge, 08/2026. [32]pp. Picture Book. Trade $17.99. 978-1-62354-684-7. GRADES Kindergarten–2. ADDITIONAL.
The big community block party is being held in the park, which has no electricity for playing music. Pran, Raul, and Mira are bummed, but then decide to make their own musical instruments from found objects. Thus dozens of handmade instruments are created, which they and their neighbors then have fun using at the block party. Digital illustrations show a wide variety of ethnicities at the block party; the three friends appear to be Asian (Mira), Hispanic (Raul), and Indian (Pran), and the instruments also appear to have a wide range of cultural backgrounds. With back matter pages that include information about the science of sound, the engineering process, and designing your own instruments, this is an engaging title for use in any beginning music setting.
Joshua Rees—Daly City Public Library