authors: Maria Christina Urrutia and Rebeca Orozco
Groundwood Books, 1999
grades 2-4
Mexican
This picture book is about the Battle of Puebla,
when, on May 5, 1862, outnumbered and poorly armed Mexican forces won an
historic victory against the French colonial army. The battle is celebrated
yearly on the fifth of May—El Cinco de Mayo—and memorialized with a holiday in
regions of Mexico and Mexican-American communities. What makes this book
special is that it places engravings that appeared in the French media at the
time of the battle alongside color photographs of a contemporary reenactment of
the battle at a celebration that took place in San Miguel Tlaixpan, Mexico. The
historical accounts are based on war reports by the Mexican generals, and the
text is based on contemporary oral accounts from festival participants. This
seamless interweaving of history and legend is highly recommended.
—Beverly Slapin
(published 4/6/13)
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