The Madre de Aguas of Cuba

The Unicorn Rescue Society #5

by Adam Gidwitz, Emma Otheguy, Hatem Aly (Illustrations)

Critically acclaimed author Emma Otheguy joins Newbery Honor-winning Adam Gidwitz as co-author as the kids travel to Cuba to help the legendary Madre de aguas, now in paperback.

In Cuba, it is believed that a mysterious water serpent--the Madre de aguas--is responsible for providing and protecting the fresh water of the island. But the serpent is missing, and a drought has gripped the island. Uchenna, Elliot, and Professor Fauna fly to Cuba and endeavor to rescue the Madre de aguas. Unfortunately, it tries to kill them. Meanwhile, the Schmoke Brothers' goons are driving around Havana, dumping pink sludge into the sewers. What is going on? Can Elliot and Uchenna end the drought? Stop the Schmokes? Or will the creature they are trying to save just eat them instead?

Genres: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Adventure, Childrens, Audiobook, Chapter Books, Humor

224 pages, Paperback

First published May 12, 2020

About the author

To read my bio and learn more about me, and find a FAQ, visit:
http://www.adamgidwitz.com/about-the-...

Reviews

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've written 4 times before about my feelings on this series, so I won't rehash all that. This book specifically stood out because it deals with Cuba, which normally is portrayed terribly in the USA. This book showed both good and bad sides to the country and, particularly wonderfully, made note of how Cuba's current situation is exacerbated by the USA's trade embargo, which is hurting the Cuban people and making them dependent on international family members importing things to get necessities to people on the island. The fact they touched on that demonstrates to me how important it is that the author always co-writes with an author with connections to the locations visited in the book. Rather than being pure propaganda, each of these books tends to look at issues from both sides (check out book 4 for another good example). Overall, very happy kids today have books like this that can help them grow up informed while still enjoying being a kid and reading wacky, silly stories.

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Orry and I give this book 5 of the Unicorn Rescue Society 5 stars. There is an addition at the end of this book, The Secret Order of the Unicorn, a history of the Society, which started in the year 789. Orry liked that this story included a mythical sea serpent and that there was lots of rising action up to the breaking point and swift conclusion. We’ve come to like Elliott and Uchenna and Professor Fauna, in all their kooky habits. I liked that Gidwitz yet again joined forces with an expert in the area the book takes place- Emma Otheguy is an expert in all things Cuba. Book 5 said to be continued, so there must be support for continuing this fun and adventurous series. Recommended for readers who like mythical creatures and adventure.

[Lucy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book! Very excited to read book 6!

[Lorie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the fifth book in the series about a secret society that rescues magical creatures when they are in danger. In this adventure Professor Fauna and his crew are called to Cuba to find the Madre de Aguas who is the guardian of Cuba's water supply. When they arrive they find the island in the middle of a drought and signs that the evil Shmoke brothers might be behind the missing creature and the environmental crisis.

This book will appeal to middle grade readers who enjoy fast paced serial stories. It also has a lot of culture, history, and mythology about Cuba. The creator of the series has brought in Co-Writer Emma Otheguy, a Cuban American, to help with the specifics for the Cuban part of the story. There is a lot of dialogue in Spanish with no translation to English, so readers unfamiliar with Spanish will have to get meaning in context from those passages.

The book is also illustrated with pen and ink drawings which help add interest to the fast moving story. While it might be best if the series is read in order to understand the arc of the whole story, the Madre de Aguas story can stand alone and there is a definite conclusion to this episode.

I would recommend this book for purchase by any school or public library. This book was provided by the publisher for professional review by SWON Libraries

[Loraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the last book in a 5 book set appropriate for upper elementary and middle school readers. I have not read the first 4, but this book read well as a stand alone. The Unicorn Rescue Society's job is sworn to protect all animals of myth and legend. In this particular book, Professor Fauna along with Elliot and Uchenna are off to discover what has happened to a legendary sea serpent that has been living in the waters of Cuba. She is called Madre de Aguas or mother of the waters and has the magic ability to keep all the waters of Cuba throughout the country clean and fresh.

This book would be an enjoyable read for 4th through 6th graders especially those who loved mythical creatures. Because this book is set in Cuba there is some Spanish sprinkled in very occasionally. Most are followed by a sentence that will provide understanding of what they mean. Some are very simple expressions that children who have any Hispanic friends would probably know. It definitely did make the Cuban country more realistic. The book also includes wonderful black and white illustrations throughout that definitely add to the storyline. I think this is a series that my 10 year old grandson would enjoy.

[Zazie · Rating 2 out of 5]

As I write this review, I'm still listening to the audiobook. Less than an hour left at 2x speed but I can already say that this one is not as amazing as the first ones were. Also, I'm sick of the Spanish in every book because you are forcing kids to learn a language they may not feel like learning and if you read these books physically you end up not knowing how to pronounce words properly and we end up with a bunch of people who think they know how to speak a language because they read books. We need people to learn the proper language rather than having people walking around speaking in broken languages because they learned words from books.

Anyway, this story was not a fun one for me. I hated the Spanish in this, as I mentioned above, and would only recommend these books if you allow your child to listen to the audiobooks because the Spanish words are pronounced right while you will not be able to say them right if you were to just read the books.

This story also didn't keep my attention and I was just anxious for it to end so I could listen to the last book in this series and finally finish it all.

Hopefully, others will enjoy these books.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

What do a sea serpent, fresh water, Cuba, and pink sludge have to do with each other? Find out in book five of The Unicorn Rescue Society. Uchenaa, Elliot, and Professor Fauna have a new mission they must save The Madre de Aguas of Cuba, who is missing. Soon they find themselves in a whirlwind adventure in Cuba filled with goons and humor.
The mythical, politica
l, and economic history of Cuba is woven throughout the story. Readers will also appreciate the Spanish phrases mixed throughout, which are translated in context, for those who do not speak the language. Fans of the Unicorn Rescue Society, mythology, Latino fiction elements, adventure, humor, Rick Riordan presents books, and many other middle grade readers will love this book!

Please note: This was a review copy given to us by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. No financial compensation was received.

[Sarah B · Rating 3 out of 5]

So this was the fifth book in the series. And it is about a sea serpent that has the ability to clean water of impurities. Except as you probably guessed the evil Schmoke brothers are after the mythical animals again.

While I read this one, the book didn't hold my interest too much... Maybe because it was a story set more in a town than in nature. There are scenes of the bad guys running around and doing bad things with a mysterious pink goop. Not good at all. And the kids have to figure out how to save the day...

Oddly enough, I don't have much to say about the creature at all. I didn't find it scary or impressive or much of anything really. And it wasn't cute like the Chupacabras.

Nor does this book have any particular scenes that stand out in my mind.

This was set in Cuba but I still feel I actually don't know much about Cuba after reading this.

I guess I just found this one flat.

[Kannan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the fourth installment in the unicorn rescue society series and I have to say it doesn’t disappoint. This book takes us to Cuba and does a wonderful job of integrating cuban history within the fanatical elements of the plot. The legend of the Madre de agues is explained and explored for new readers and for readers who might already be familiar with the legend.

I think this book will be a hit with my students who are already fans of the series or even ones who might not be yet. Fantastic for middle grade readers of fantasy, mythology, or even both.

The publisher Penguin Young Readers group generously provided me with a copy of the book upon request on NetGalley. The rating, ideas and opinions shared are my own.

[Anna Cavallo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This books was delightful, the kids are resourceful and real, the Professor is hilarious and earnest, the creatures are fantastical, and they introduce interesting myths and legends from different places and cultures. The books touch on some challenging topics - species loss due to habitat destruction, separation of families across borders, environmental pollution by big industry - but they aren't preachy or trite.
Opens up the topic for conversation, and embeds them in truly fun and engaging stories. Another thing I love about them is there really isn't a romantic interest for the kids - the kids are just kids and buddies with each other. Bonus multi-racial, multi-ethnic main characters, again, without being preachy or trite about diversity too.

[Ron · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an advanced reader copy of the book. It was missing the internal art work which would probably help a kid reading the book. I've never been much at having the pictures so it didn't affect me. I thought this book was ok. It was the 4th in the series. I haven't read any of the others. I felt like I got more than enough information to pick this book up by itself. The bottom line is that I just didn't enjoy the story and couldn't wait to be finished. I'm not sure that I'll read any more of these. I suspect an elementary reader might enjoy these books.

[Em Stevens · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite in the series so far.

The thing that impresses me the most is Gidwitz's refusal to sugar-coat the history of a place or people just because he's writing for a younger audience. Will young readers get all of the complex histories and politics of Cuba? No. But there is a firm introduction to the dynamics that led it to be where it is today, including an unflinching reminder of the U.S.'s contributions.

There's a lot of Spanish in this one, too. Which is difficult for me to read out loud, but that's on me and I enjoyed looking up pronunciations online.

[Daniel Pearse · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another interesting adventure for the Unicorn Rescue Society this time focusing on the culture and history of Cuba. I have one major plot problem. I thought that the society wanted to keep the creatures existence a secret? Yet, everyone at the hotel and along the route to the bay would have seen the giant Madre de Aquas. Multiple people would have captured images on phones and security cameras would have picked up images. Maybe I misunderstood the purpose of the society. Otherwise another excellent adventure.

[Ann Haefele · Rating 4 out of 5]

Both my 7 year old granddaughter and I were sad to finish this book in the unicorn rescue society series as we’ve come to the end of the series , at least for now. Hoping the author soon publishes another. We both enjoy the story and characters , and I appreciate the fact that the author works in some social and ecology issues within the story without being preachy. The issue in this book was the effect of a drought and/or water shortage.

[AMY · Rating 4 out of 5]

195 pgs. The adventures continue down in Cuba this time. The rescue society is trying to figure out what is going on with the mythical creature that provides water to the big island. They encounter more trouble with the Schmoke Brothers' and their evil schemes. I liked how the kids, Elliott and Uchenna worked out the problems and took action this time. I think fans of the series will enjoy this one and it looks like the series is not over quite yet...Highly recommended for Grades 4-5.

[Cris · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the fifth book of the series, I was grateful to have read it on my kindle. There are so many Spanish words that they don’t explain, so I would look them up. This is one of the perks of the series is the exposure to different languages and cultures. This novel takes us to Cuba. It gives us a brief glimpse of their history, current hardships and even how the different cultures have grown together. I really enjoy this series and recommend it for children!

[Joseph D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 5 of the Unicorn Rescue Society. This book is a fun look at a Cuban legend. I love how they incorporated many beliefs without speaking of who was right/wrong. I like that it gives an economic history of Cuba in a way that even young reader would be able to understand. I laughed out loud​ with the Mary Popping reference. This was a quick fun read and I recommend it.

Joseph McKnight
http://www.josephmcknight.com

[Kristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent addition to the Unicorn Rescue Society series. I love that each book tackles a different mythical creature in different parts of the world. I am partial to the Jersey Devil (book 1), being from New Jersey, but I enjoyed this "trip" to Cuba. I especially like the relationship between Elliot and Uchenna. They are a really fun pair and I think young readers will relate to each of them in different ways. Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an eARC courtesy of Dutton Books via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Fans of "The Unicorn Rescue Society" will be thrilled with this addition. This is my first adventure in this series, and I don't feel like I'm lost in the story. Though it did take me a while to get into this.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the fifth book of this series that I have read. I enjoyed the beautiful descriptions of Cuba, the attempt to introduce the complex relationship between Cuba and the US to kids, and the theme of protecting wildlife.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful continuation of the adventures of the URS.

[Andréa]

Note: I received a digital review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

[Gillian Dawson · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[bear.hare · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read aloud

[Dan Rogers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love reading this series to my grandchildren. Witty, interesting and always engaging. We love them.

[Roberta · Rating 5 out of 5]

The little one enjoyed this one. We recommended it to the best friend.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fun adventure.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series. It is so much fun, and poor Elliott always so squeamish in the "Pheonix". I hope they get to the unicorns in the last one :)

[Anastassia · Rating 4 out of 5]

My kids love this series! Great book to read aloud to your 1st-3rd grade kids.

[MrPrim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Got to teach my kid about the Cuban Communist Revolution, the American Embargo of Cuba, the development of the Cuban diaspora, and the nature of Communism and Capitalism. Arguably, as the child of Cuban immigrants, I probably should have told him some of this stuff a bit sooner.