All the Way to Havana

I bought this book as a Christmas gift for my niece, but I read it (translating into Spanish) to my Cuban grandparents, who were truly delighted by it. The story is fun, the pictures are beautiful, and it gives you a snapshot of the familial bonds and culture of Cuba!

Written. In first-person plural lyrical voice.unique story using a car as a way to show us a foreign place. Gre

Beautiful, vivid illustrations, the words so reflective of Cuban life.

A little boy and his family are headed to his cousin's zero year birthday celebration. To get there, they must convince the old family automobile, Cara Cara, to make the trip. Cara Carr has been fixed multiple times through trial and error and creativity, but she still runs. Like many of the other old cars the boy sees on the streets of Havana.Definitely read the author's note in the back of the book about why Havana is so full of old cars and how people work to keep them going much longer than people in wealthier cultures. An interesting look at how one person's trash is another's treasure, and the power of ingenuity. It should also make readers pause and think about their own materialism. Kids who like cars and tinkering should LOVE this. I'm not super into cars but I appreciate the message Engle intended and I know this will find an audience. I also like the peek into a foreign culture. The illustrations are quite something too and make sure you read the illustrator's note on why the cars won't look 100% authentic.

A boy and his family get their old car running and head off to Havana for a celebration in this book with startlingly beautiful illustration and rich text. You will come away from this book with a deep appreciation for the stubborn persistence of Cuba's people and the lush beauty of their land.

I really enjoyed the trip this picture book takes through the Cuban countryside and into the city of Havana. It is easy to identify with the narrator, as he gets squashed in the backseat by all the passengers! Engle makes the question of whether or not the narrator and his father can get the car to work a suspenseful one, but as the journey gets underway, we don’t feel pity for the family for having an old car, but rather excitement for everything they see along the road to Havana. The bright colors of the cars alongside the blue of the sky and ocean make the pictures very attractive and illustrator Mike Curato adds plenty of detail to the vehicles and the scenery in Havana. The figures in the pictures can sometimes look a little flat, but it was nice to see an Afro-Latinx family featured—an unfortunate rarity in a lot of picture books. Both the author and illustrator include notes at the end talking a little about the background of the story and the process of researching the illustrations.

All the Way to Havana by Margarita Engle, is a realistic fictional poem that takes the reader on a road trip through Cuba. I just love all of the sound words which describes the the cars engine; a great way to teach the literary concept, onomatopoeia.These words made me think of my husband and his uncle. When my husband has an issue with one of our vehicles, he describes the noise in which the car is making and his uncle, an automotive genius, will already begin to think of what could be wrong. It is very impressive.Here in the story, the Papa continuously strives to make this antique car run; which is common in the country of Cuba. The books final pages includes an author's note, that tells us pre-1959 cars are extremely popular in this country, as the people are succumbed to both hardship and poverty. In addition, they consistently maintain these older cars with a lot of perseverance and creativity. The young boy in the story, likes to assist his Papa with fixing Cara Cara in hopes that one day it will become his.

Beautiful illustrations by Mike Curato! As a daughter of a father who's spent years renovating and restoring classic cars and who loves to draw them, I totally have an appreciation and connection to the art in the book. The story is awesome and the illustrations make it even better! Thank you Margarita and Mike!