This is a short introductory book on the major places and things of Cuba, an island country in Caribbean. Shaped like a ship floating on Ocean, it comprises of more than 4000 cays and islets and not just only islands other than main Cuba.
Author mentioned here about Cuba's national bird, tocororo which is having same colors as that of Cuba's national flag. Maybe someone took inspiration for that flag design from tocororo only. It is a house to the world's smallest bird, Bee Hummingbird. There is about knowing that Palma Real is the national tree of Cuba. Salsa being originated in Cuba too.
I liked the concept of putting it in both Spanish and English. By this way, both readers can enjoy the book.
Overall, this is a good acquaintance with the Cuba from far away world with vibrant water color backgrounds which were full of lively essence vibing out of it.

What a uniquely crafted book! Not just with the wonderful representation of Cuba, but the haikus in English and Spanish and the stunning illustrations make it all in all a work of art. I would love to see it in print!

The poetry in this book works magnificently well in both languages, which is a rare literary delicacy.

I grabbed this book because I'm currently working on improving my Spanish and thought it would be a nice way to pick up some vocab and also learn a bit about Cuba, and I was right. The illustrations are great and the haikus are cute. I think this would be a great book to use in a bilingual classroom to teach kids a little bit of another language, and also learn a bit about another culture along the way.

This was such a great book! The illustrations were adorable. The haikus were simple to understand and I love the inclusion Spanish and English.

This is a perfect bedtime story or can be used to introduce haikus to children.

Thank you to the authors, the publisher, and NetGalley for this e-ARC.

This is a nice bilingual book with haiku poetry about Cuba. The illustrations are stunning, very detailed and colourful and they truly capture the essence of the haikus.

"Is it an island or a tiny ship floating upon the waters?"
Haiku is a particular Japanese poetry form with specific requirements. Each bit of poetry is interesting things about Cuba and with the English on the recto and the Spanish on the verso page. Loved it!
The illustrations by Juan Josï Colsa are clear, brilliantly colorful, and fun!
Well suited for reading alone or WITH someone of any age including ESL, and great for gifting to anyone, but especially to a school or your public library!
I requested and received a free temporary e-book on Adobe Digital Editions from NorthSouth Books Inc. | Ediciones NorteSur via NetGalley. Thank you!
#HaiCubaHaiKuba #NetGalley Avail Sep 10, 2024

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It was an enjoyable read for me. In a haiku style poems, the author makes us discover Cuba in both languages Spanish and English with nice illustrations.

A beautifully illustrated book, and such a brilliant way to teach about haiku and encourage children to write their own poetry! I love the translations, which kept the correct pattern but were equally poetic in English and Spanish. This is a great book for home or classroom. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this.

HaiCuba/HaiKuba explores the beauty and majesty of Cuba through the use of haikus and beautifully illustrated images. Prior to diving into the heritage and landmarks of Cuba, the authors provide and explanation of a haiku and provide a simple example. The end of the book contains an overview of Cuba, utilizing and emphasizing each haiku topic to provide a generalized summary of Cuban culture perfect for young readers.

One of the beauties of this book is the way the translator seamlessly translates the haikus from English to Spanish. While the poems cannot be word for word translated because of the structure of the haiku, the messages are conveyed equally. Each haiku is associated with an aspect of Cuban culture and pride, which is displayed in the words and illustrations of distinct landmarks, animals, and staples of Cuban culture.

As a second generation Cuban-American and a teacher, this books is a wonderful way to teach children Spanish, as well as about poetry and Cuban heritage and culture. The vocabulary across both languages is easy to translate, and the illustrations serve as additional language support. The book serves as a wonderful overview of Cuban culture, and each haiku topic can be a starting point for additional research depending on interests.

I would like to thank the NetGalley, the author, the translator, the illustrator, and publisher for providing me with this ARC edition in exchange for my honest review.

I think I had a different idea of what this book would be when I requested it. I obviously knew it was going to be a bilingual poetry collection, but I think I expected it to be more of a novel in verse or at least a more interconnected maybe?

Fun way to discover Cuba and what it has to offer. Personally I don't know the place but this book left me with a desire to visit it. It was charming reading both in spanish and english and having glimpses of what Cuba is like.

ORIGINAL BILINGUAL CHILDREN'S BOOK

For people who like: original children's books

Reading around the world: Cuba

In five words: bilingual (SPA/ENG) - haiku - vibrant - educational - varied

Positive points: Since you can't start young enough, I'm a huge fan of bilingual books. This one's in Spanish on the left page and English on the right page. As the written form consists of haiku (a Japanese poetic form), the translation isn't always literal although the content does match.
Several highlights of Cuba are brought to the reader's attention. There's a lot of variation as there are different themes covered: animals, music, clothes, traditions, … At the end of the book there's also one page where you get a bit more info about them.
The illustrations are worth mentioning as they have such vibrant colours and therefore really capture the Cuban vibe.

Negative points: The themes in this book are talked about rather briefly (due to the haiku-form), but at the same time they're so interesting that you'll definitely want to know more about them!

More info: A preview of the book is available at: https://www.book2look.com/book/jnpKEE7jDh
To satisfy my curiosity I've searched for accompanying Youtube-movies. An overview of the most interesting ones can be found on my blog: https://world-of-tau.blogspot.com/2024/07/haicubahaikuba.html (and in Dutch at: https://www.hebban.nl/spot/world-of-tau/nieuws/haicubahaikuba)

Rating: 5*

Publication date: 10.09.2024

*Thanks to NetGalley and NorthSouth Books Inc. | Ediciones NorteSur for providing a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to North South Books and NetGalley for the e-ARC of this title to read and review. This is a gorgeous collection of haikus that not only celebrates the art of haiku writing in two languages, but also paints a stunning picture of Cuba. Each poem illustrates a different type of Cuban landscape, culture, or history, so it's educational and moving.

Primero, estoy lo siento. Mi español no es perfecto, yo probablemente hará errores.

This was a very cute collection of haikus. Los dibujos fue bonito y colorido, me gusta mucho el página del diecisiete con el bosque. I love how they have not directly translated between English and Spanish so that they both follow the haiku structure while keeping the same feel of the poem. También, es gran por español niños o ingles niños. Yo haría lo tengo en un bibliotheca de escuela en un latido de corazón pero a lo mejor es porque me encanta español y quiero todo el mundo a lo aprender.

Muchas gracias NetGalley this was a fun read.


Otra vez, lo siento por mi español <3

HaiCuba/HaiKuba is an enlightening children's book about Cuba written in Haiku for in both Spanish and English. The reader will learn about the geography, culture and history of Cuba. The illustrations are vibrantly colored to capture the essence of Cuba. This book is a wonderful way to introduce young readers to Cuba and/or the Spanish language.

A charming book that invites us to immerse ourselves in the cultural richness and traditions of Cuba.

It is a bilingual illustrated collection of haiku poems. The haikus are carefully crafted in both English and Spanish, making it a valuable tool for children who want to practice a foreign language while learning about Cuba.

Each haiku is accompanied by a beautiful full-page illustration. These images capture the essence of Cuba and add a visual dimension to the reading experience.

This book surprised me greatly. I had never seen a book like this before. The combination of poetry, illustrations, and Cuban culture creates a unique experience.

Thank you very much to the authors and NorthSouth Books for giving me the opportunity to discover this work through an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This easy to follow picture book is an ode to Cuba: the people, the culture, and the language. Simple but meaningful poems are set among a beautiful backdrop of gorgeous illustrations. It offers the poems in both Spanish and English which offers and opportunity to learn both languages and also allows readers to experience the book in there native tongue.

I am so in love with this gem of a book that I discovered at NetGalley the other day. Please mark your calendars so you won‘t miss HaiCuba/HaiKuba by Carlos Pintado and Lawrence Schimel, published by NorthSouth Books Inc. when it comes out September 10! It‘s a fabulous and truly poetic tribute to the magnificence and magic of this Caribbean island.

Even if you don’t know what a haiku is, this
absolutely gorgeous children‘s book about Cuba will – after explaining the Japanese art of the haiku to the reader – make you fall in love not only with this poetic form but also with this stunningly beautiful largest island in the West Indies!

What we love most is how the authors and the illustrator cleverly transport us to the island with bright and detailed illustrations covering a lovely variety of Cuban parts of life. Starting with a perfect haiku about the island itself (see below) we move on to features of the natural world, transport, neighborhoods, food, clothes, traditions and dance, all the while mesmerized by the love we feel the authors put into every single page and haiku.

We are simply in love with the gorgeous illustrations by Juan José Colsa which are vivid and colorful and manage to perfectly transport the tropical, joyful atmosphere of our favorite island. We can literally feel the ocean breeze in our hair walking along the Malecon, see the Palmas Real moving above our heads and detect the light scent of ripe Mangos after a heavy rain in May. Brilliant! ❤️

The kids are so excited to rediscover aspects and experiences from their visits to the island and especially enjoy the haikus about the Tocororo (national bird), the Palma Real (national tree) and particularly the first one about the island itself:

¿Es una isla
o un barco flotando
sobre las aguas?

Is it an island
or a tiny ship floating
upon the waters?

I am so glad I came across this wonderful bilingual publication for little readers and can not recommend it enough as I am sure that you will find this absolutely adorable book about the island‘s culture and its beautiful people very inspiring. A special thanks goes out to Netgalley as well as NorthSouth Books Inc. for letting me enjoy an ARC of this poetic trip to Cuba! 🇨🇺❤️🇨🇺

Perfect for beginner level ESL or Spanish classes, and definitely a great resource for anyone — not just kids — who wants to learn more about Cuban life and culture.
Love it! ❤️

A beautifully illustrated bilingual children's book of haikus about Cuba. The introduction explains what a haiku is, where they originated, and provides an example. All of the haikus relate to something that is a part of life in Cuba, and the end of the book provides a brief description of Cuba. This can be used as a great tool to improve/practice Spanish or English, but it is also a great introduction to the haiku. Thank you, NorthSouth Books, for the ARC and opportunity to provide an honest review.