With thanks to NetGalley and House of Anansi Press Inc. for an early copy in return for an honest review.

I love books with a strong sense of setting and anytime I can travel through the pages of the book, I'm in! I enjoyed the illustrations in the book and the general storyline, but sometimes felt that the book fell a little flat in how Cuba and the people of Cuba were described.

This series is about a white family from Montreal who travels the world, so I would expect in today's climate that this book would have been used for more education in understanding the family's white privilege. That started to develop in Chapter 6 through to the end, but the first five chapters had the entire family acting entitled and making negative assumptions about Cuba. The whole scenario with the Mom, (who hardly speaks any Spanish,) using her child to help her teach a class-- and then working wonders in a handful of days? This was very much a "white saviour" scenario... and it didn't make sense! As it is right now, I would not sell this book.

This was a book that was confusing since it was difficult to tell the age of the children so some of the adventures they went on seemed far-fetched (and dangerous!). I’m unsure what a good age group would be for this title. The chapters glossed over some very heavy topics but was long enough that younger children wouldn’t enjoy. However, I love Cuba and have been many times so feeling like I went there for a visit was enjoyable. I also loved the illustrations. I do thank #NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read.

I would prioritize stories told by Cubans and Cuban-Americans over this book. Despite the story’s best attempts, I do not feel that it accurately represented my country and the issues facing the lives of Cuban people. Not recommended.

I picked up this book, thinking it was a coffee-table book with glossy photos of ancient Chevrolets in Havana, the beach at Varadero, the mogotes in Viñales, the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes in Havana, the Nicho Waterfalls — that kind of thing. How glad I am that I was wrong!

The target audience for this book in which Canadian Charlie and his family visit Cuba is 9- to 14-year-olds. Ignore that: Readers of all ages will adore the black-and-white illustrations and the realistic portrayal of today’s Cuba. Neither a panegyric nor a right-wing screed, Travels in Cuba describes Cuba, warts and all, a country whose people struggle with a hide-bound regime, but keep their generous natures and eschew consumerism. Authors Marie-Louise Gay and David Homel also make a broader case for seeing the real country one visits rather than flocking to tourist meccas. Readers will also love Gay and Homel’s depiction of Charlie interacting with his pesky brother and rolling his eyes at his parents’ insistence of traveling the backroads.

But let’s grant Max the final word:

"Cuba was a beautiful sunny island floating like a crocodile in the deep blue sea. It had banana trees and friendly horses and flowers a big as dinner plates.

"But it had more than that. It was a place full of stories and secrets and rules for breaking, and life here wasn’t as simple as where I lived [in Montreal].

"Would we ever come back?

"Well, why not?

"And besides, part of me would always be here."

Part of this book will always be with me, as well. And not just because my parents were Cuban.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley, House of Anansi Press and Groundwood Books.

This book is apparently part of a fictional series of travels as told by a 10 year old. Seeing the world through a 10 year olds eyes is rather cool, as it is unfiltered. And his view of Cuba is both sweet and informative. Good way to learn about other countries.

In fact, I looked up several cities and towns that he went to, just to see the things he described.

I would highly recommend this as a good source to introduce young readers to finding out about other coutnries.

<em>Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.</em>

Thank you to Groundwood Books and NetGalley for a chance to read Travels in Cuba by Marie-Louise, illustrated by David Homel.

First of all, I learned so much about Cuba from reading about Charlie, Max and their parents as they traveled in Cuba. Many of the social studies disciplines were touched on; economics, geography, history, government, and sociology. Gay describes the political limitations under which the Cubans live; many of the Cubans in the story discuss how there are many rules that must be followed and cannot be broken. Yet, the vitality of Cuban culture is beautifully captured in the text as well as the illustrations. I particularly loved a street scene in Havana where old men were playing dominoes on wooden tables with children playing nearby, and women were singing, gossiping, and hanging laundry. I could really picture the energy, motion, sound, and joy of the moment. It is clear that Gay and Homel actually made a trip to Cuba. There is an authenticity that rings throughout the story.

I really enjoyed the book and recommend it highly. The reader must be at an emotional level to understand some of the difficult concepts dealing with Cuba. For example, Charlie and a Cuban boy discover a gun cache dating back to the time of Castro's revolution in 1959 and the Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961.

What a great book! Charlie, Max and their parents travel from their home in Canada to Cuba for a family vacation. They spend part of their time with a friend in Havana and then travel out to the countryside to spend some time there. The descriptions of Havana are just like you see on television or read about in other books, the old cars, tourist hotels, the Malecon. The author also weaves in a lot of Cuban history and touches on the strained relationship with the United States. And the Cuban love of baseball also makes an appearance.
A great read to introduce kids to Cuba.

ARC Copy...it's another family trip off the beaten path! I did like that yes its a gentle-warm trip through Cuba's sights and sounds but also no sugar coating (yet accessible to the targeted age group too) of the political-social quirks + history of Cuba itself too.