Mia's Story

While travelling in South America the author meets Mia and her family. He tells us about their lives and hopes. Their house is made of rubbish dumped from the nearby city and each day Mia's father goes there to sell scrap, hoping to eventually afford a house of bricks.

One day he brings home a puppy and they call him Poco. Mia loves Poco but he runs away, and as she searches for him in the mountains she finds that star-like white flowers grow there. She grows the flowers at home, transforming the wasteland and then sells them in the city to earn money.

A poignant story of simple lives and dreams and how recycling the world's waste can make something beautiful. Evocative illustrations and a thoughtful text will prompt discussion with older readers.