A homage to the classic beauty, perseverance, and family loyalty of Cubans, "All the Way to Havana" is the story of a family car and its trip to visit family. It isn't perfect, but it is theirs. I didn't know that due to the political climate, many of the American cars on the island are pre-1959 and so parts have been replaced numerous times! Talk about cool!

The illustrations were also done combining pencil drawings, paintings, and textures from photographs. Yeah I can't even begin to capture anything (let alone a '54 Chevy!!) this way.

This book is perfect for those who love transportation books or for those who love a family story of ingenuity and heritage. ( )

This book is a good read for our primary and intermediate students. It has a deep but powerful meaning behind the text. The book is filled with colorful images and onemonopia's that make the text more fun and imaginable. The book is about a young boy who takes pride in his family and their traditions. It is a positive book about taking care of what you have and enjoying the memories that can be made in anything. ( )

Primary. This story follows a little boy who is on his way to his cousin's zero-first birthday party. He views the journey from their big blue car as they pick up lots of friends and family on the way. This book has great representation and also shows the beautiful city of Havana, it focuses on family and community coming together to celebrate.

I think this book would be good for upper elementary school. This book 'takes you through Cuba' and brings it to life. You see different perspectives of what life is like in Cuba in a positive and welcoming light. ( )

I liked this book for two reasons. First, illustrator Mike Curato did an amazing job. The colors were very vibrant and realistic. On one of the pages, you see a variety of greens, the palm trees have coconuts, the color of the car is a sky blue, a common color in Cuba. The page has animals freely roaming around in the front of the house. Second, Margarita Engle brings the journey of a boy from the country to the city of Havana to life using Spanish words. An example where Margarita brings the story to life is, “So we zoom and bump all the way back to our little village, where we will soon have a chance to car acara taka taka pio pio clunk sleep.” The message of this book is perseverance, never give up no matter the circumstances. ( )