From School Library Journal
Grade 3-4-The annual celebration of Cinco de Mayo, which commemorates the Mexican victory at Puebla, is presented in eight chapters. The life of Benito Ju rez; the Mexican battle for freedom; the country's government today; the celebration itself; and Mexican music, dance, and food are all given brief coverage in jerky, disconnected prose that, while it does not misinform, is surely no pleasure to read. Wide margins, large print, and good leading combine with a plethora of well-placed color photos and reproductions to produce an open, nonthreatening look, attractive to younger readers. Marginal sidebars, only some of which pertain to the adjacent text, give information on food, dance, and social conventions. Instructions for a Cinco de Mayo project and a 12-word glossary (with no pronunciations given) are included. Janet Riehecky's Cinco de Mayo (Children's, 1993; o.p.), preferable for composition and narrative flow, contains similar information.
Ann Welton, Grant Elementary School, Tacoma, WA
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Ann Welton, Grant Elementary School, Tacoma, WA
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Booklist
Gr. 3-5. Celebrations of Cinco de Mayo are becoming increasingly common in the U.S. Gnojewski explains the history behind the fiesta, telling about the battle on May 5, 1862, in which the Mexican army and residents of the city of Puebla fought the French army. After outlining the history and introducing Mexican heroes such as Benito Juarez, she takes a look at some of the traditional elements of a Cinco de Mayo celebration--food, music, and dance. The font is large and the sentences are short, making the book an appealing choice for newer readers, and the overall presentation is attractive, with large, color photographs and reproductions of artwork. The sidebars, unfortunately, seem placed without regard to topic; for example, a sidebar entitled "Siesta Time" is matched to information on the Battle of Puebla. That aside, however, this nice-looking entry in the Finding out about Holidays series provides a quick account of the history that will serve the needs of most libraries. Susan Dove Lempke
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
