Starred Review ALA Booklist (Mon May 01 00:00:00 CDT 2017)

Starred Review Acclaimed Cuban American poet Engle here celebrates the persistence and ingenuity of Cubans, who have learned to make do in the face of poverty and scarcity. A young boy and his family prepare to travel from their rural home to Havana to celebrate the birth of a new cousin. Mama has baked a cake, and the gift is wrapped, but the family's 1953 Chevy, affectionately known as Cara Cara, is making horrible noises: "Some of this island's old cars purr like kittens, but ours is so tired that she just chatters like a busy chicken." Papa lifts the hood, and father and son tinker until finally the car is roadworthy. "So we purr cara cara / and we glide taka taka / and we zoom zoom." The party is festive and happy; the ride home smooth and sleepy. Engle's tone is upbeat throughout: she highlights modest country vistas, picturesque contemporary Havana, busy people going about their daily chores, and the profusion of noisy vintage cars. Curato's vibrant pencil and digital illustrations depict iconic images of Cuba all farms, city neighborhoods, and government buildings l in photographic detail. And while the antique cars may take center stage, the Cuban people also shine in their determination and resilience. A lyrical and beautiful offering that should help to humanize views of this island nation.

Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews

Off to Havanna!A boy is thrilled to visit his new cousin in the city, but another member of the family, the beautiful, blue antique car called Cara Cara, isn't quite ready yet. (The importance of family and the fact that technology and money are in limited supply come together in the affection the boy holds for Cara Cara, the family heirloom that's been inventively repaired over many years and will belong to the boy himself someday.) Finally, after the boy and his father tinker under the hood, they are off. Colorful, detailed illustrations and animated, evocative text, peppered with Spanish and full of the excitement of a journey, guide readers through their small Cuban town, over roadways, and past other vintage cars to the destination—a family celebration! Energetic descriptions engage virtually all of the senses and will draw in readers across gender, race—the characters are primarily brown-skinned, and the protagonist's family is mixed-race, with a black father and pale-skinned mother—and nationality, while politics go unmentioned, as appropriate to the age of the audience. By focusing on the boy's observations and experiences—clothing hanging on a line, the understanding that you'll always give your neighbors a ride, the sights and sounds of old cars, the presence of crumbling balconies, the scent of the sea—Engle and Curato provide a child's view of Cuba that is extremely accessible and as striking as it is unforgettable. A vibrant snapshot of modern Cuba, full of rich, sensory detail. (Picture book. 3-8)

School Library Journal Starred Review (Thu Jun 01 00:00:00 CDT 2017)

PreS-Gr 2Accompanied by the vibrant onomatopoeia of an old rebuilt car, a brown-skinned boy travels with his family from their village in Cuba to the capital city, Havana, to celebrate the "zero-year birthday" of his cousin. The focus of this colorful picture book is on the car (nicknamed "Cara Cara"), one of Cuba's many mid-20th-century American vehicles maintained through constant tinkering. "Ours is so tired that she just chatters like a busy chickencara cara, cara cara, cluck, cluck, cluck." Award-winning poet Engle transports readers to Cuba through her lively verse, and Curato (author/illustrator of the "Little Elliot" series) does the same with his nearly photorealistic illustrations rendered in pencil, with digital color bringing out the bright tones of the tropics. Each spread includes endless detail, from the clothes hanging on the clothesline in the boy's backyard to Havana's beautiful architecture. The stars of the book, of course, are the 1950s cars, which Curato studied on a research trip to Cuba and depicts precisely in all their mixed-and-matched glory. While younger readers will simply enjoy the journey, older children may desire more information about the context of the story, some of which can be found in the author's and illustrator's notes. VERDICT A fun addition to the ever-popular genre of transportation picture booksthis one with a unique perspective and message of perseverance.Clara Hendricks, Cambridge Public Library, MA

Horn Book (Sun Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2018)

A contemporary Cuban boy and his family drive to Havana to visit a newborn cousin. Before they can set off, however, the boy must help repair the family's 1954 Chevy (one of the many pre-Revolution cars that are by necessity still widely used in Cuba), using "wire, tape, and mixed-up scraps of dented metal." Mixed-media illustrations capture the brilliant colors and scenic beauty of the island.

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

Off to Havanna!A boy is thrilled to visit his new cousin in the city, but another member of the family, the beautiful, blue antique car called Cara Cara, isn't quite ready yet. (The importance of family and the fact that technology and money are in limited supply come together in the affection the boy holds for Cara Cara, the family heirloom that's been inventively repaired over many years and will belong to the boy himself someday.) Finally, after the boy and his father tinker under the hood, they are off. Colorful, detailed illustrations and animated, evocative text, peppered with Spanish and full of the excitement of a journey, guide readers through their small Cuban town, over roadways, and past other vintage cars to the destination—a family celebration! Energetic descriptions engage virtually all of the senses and will draw in readers across gender, race—the characters are primarily brown-skinned, and the protagonist's family is mixed-race, with a black father and pale-skinned mother—and nationality, while politics go unmentioned, as appropriate to the age of the audience. By focusing on the boy's observations and experiences—clothing hanging on a line, the understanding that you'll always give your neighbors a ride, the sights and sounds of old cars, the presence of crumbling balconies, the scent of the sea—Engle and Curato provide a child's view of Cuba that is extremely accessible and as striking as it is unforgettable. A vibrant snapshot of modern Cuba, full of rich, sensory detail. (Picture book. 3-8)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

The pre-1959 American car, held together, as Engle (Lion Island) so evocatively writes, with -wire, tape, and mixed-up scraps of dented metal,- has become a visual trademark of Cuba and testimony to its citizens- resilience and ingenuity. One of these cars, a bright blue Chevy Delray christened Cara Cara (because her aging, patchwork engine makes sounds -like a busy chicken-cara cara, cara cara, cluck, cluck, cluck-) is the star of this contemporary story, taking the young narrator and his family from their rural home to a celebration with relatives in Havana. The masterly sense of place, color, and shape that make Curato-s Little Elliot stories so touching proves perfect for a landscape that-s larger than life. He and Engle chronicle Cara Cara-s journey in loving detail as the family moves along the coast and into bustling city streets, giving readers glimpses into daily Cuban lives-newlyweds in a Dodge convertible, laundry hanging from balconies as -a sea breeze sings.- It-s a wonderful introduction to America-s very nearby neighbor. Ages 4-8. Author-s agent: Michelle Humphrey, Martha Kaplan Agency. Illustrator-s agent: Brenda Bowen, Sanford J. Greenburger Associates. (Aug.)