Cinco De Mayo: Yesterday and Today [Hardcover]

Ma. Cristina Urrutia (Author), Rebeca Orozco (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1999 | Age Level: 7 and up

In the mid-19th century, Mexico was in crisis; using the pretext that the country was not paying off its debt to European powers, Napoleon III decided to invade and annex it. But under Benito Juarez, the Mexican government and the people, who had suffered for centuries as a European colony, surprised Napoleon and fought back. On the fifth of May, in a decisive battle, they routed the French. Today, that day is celebrated as the enduring symbol of Mexican independence and pride. Cinco de Mayo uses a contemporary reenactment in the village of San Miguel Tlaixpn as the focal point for its vivid description of that day. Photographs of this event are combined with original archival lithographs from the period to bring the battle and its setting to vivid life, along with the exciting celebrations that followed. The text is drawn from newspaper accounts from the era and the dispatches of the brave Mexican generals who refused to turn over their country to the invaders.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-4 This holiday commemorates a battle in which outnumbered Mexican troops managed to defeat the invading French at Puebla in 1862. This book presents a simplified account of the battle, based on war reports from the Mexican army, interspersed with information about the reenactment held each year in San Miguel Tlaixpan. The illustrations consist of hand-colored French and Mexican engravings along with full-color photographs of a contemporary celebration. There is some confusion resulting from the shifts between past and present. Dianne MacMillan's Mexican Independence Day and Cinco de Mayo (Enslow, 1997), which is illustrated with photographs, gives a more detailed account of both the battle and the holiday. Pam Gosner, formerly at Maplewood Memorial Library, NJ
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Illustrated with historical engravings and photographs of a contemporary reenactment, this book provides a basic explanation of the Mexican national celebration of Cinco de Mayo and the Battle of Puebla that it commemorates. Be aware that this is a translation, originally published in Mexico for an audience of Mexican children. Only the information on the flaps of the book jacket and in the short summary explanation on the final page seems to have been adjusted for a wider audience. References to unfamiliar Mexican figures and patriotic statements such as "our country, Mexico," and "We won!" may make this book somewhat awkward for U.S. students to use. However, Cinco de Mayo is increasingly celebrated in the U.S. by Mexican communities, and source material is extremely difficult to locate, especially illustrated and at a basic level. Recommended for purchase where needed. Annie Ayres

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 7 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Groundwood Books (June 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0888993552
• ISBN-13: 978-0888993557
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 7.9 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.4 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,878,889 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)