Overview

Marco loves the food, parades, and fun of Cinco de Mayo. This year he's one of the dancers. As he listens to the mariachi music, Marco thinks of the brave Mexicans at the first Cinco de Mayo. Find out the different things people do to celebrate this holiday!

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9780761350828

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Reviews

Children from different cultural groups describe their families' celebrations. Information about the occasions is included in the simplistic stories, but text boxes provide more details than the young narrators do. Bright, cheerful illustrations will draw readers to these introductions. Birthday focuses on U.S. customs but mentions other traditions. An activity concludes each volume. --Journal Marco, a Mexican American boy, explains his family's Cinco de Mayo traditions in this entry into the Holidays and Special Days series. As Marco worries about performing his dance steps during his city's celebration, his older cousin, Diego, tells him the story of how Mexico's small army defeated mighty French soldiers on May 5, 1862, which is now remembered as Cinco de Mayo. Inspired by his ancestors' bravery, Marco finds his feet ready to dance to the mariachi music. The fiesta continues with a taco-eating battle and fireworks. Sidebars with additional information expand on the holiday. Illustrated with vibrant digital artwork, the text avoids stereotypes by differentiating Marco's everyday attire and habits from those of Cinco de Mayo. Standard back matter includes directions for making maracas. Once children understand the history of this holiday, follow with Judy Cox's Cinco de Mouse-O! (2010) and Debbi Chocolate's El Barrio (2009). --Booklist --Journal In this well-presented series, young children are introduced to important holidays that their friends celebrate. Each book tells a story about a child celebrating the holiday with explanations within the story or in text boxes. Different facets of the holidays are shown: religious, cultural, traditional activities, etc. The cartoon-type illustrations add to the topics and portray multiethnic groups. An activity is included in each book. Lerner e-source is available for this series; it consists of a suggested lesson plan and two worksheets. --Library Media Connection --Journal A Mexican American boy celebrates Cinco de Mayo with his family. The colorful cartoon-inspired graphics show round-faced Marco dressed in costume to dance in a street celebration filled with easily identifiable images (a Ferris wheel, balloons, food stands, floats, and flags). The first pages introduce the holiday with child-friendly art and a map of North America. In an awkward, odd transition, Marco's cousin Diego tells him the story behind the holiday to help his performance if he 'felt afraid.' His brief summary of the Mexican military success against France 150 years earlier thankfully leaves Marco proudly brave with 'feet ready to dance.' The book ends with images of the celebration--a taco-eating contest and fireworks with Marco's happy family. Instructions for making maracas are appended. Websites are included (Sesame Street's classic Cinco de Mayo video is rather dated). An age-appropriate introduction to the holiday for the youngest of readers. --School Library Journal --Journal

Author Information

Lisa Bullard is the award-winning author of more than 60 books for children, including You Can Write a Story: A Story-Writing Recipe for Kids. She teaches writing classes at the Loft Literary Center and regularly visits schools to talk with students about story-writing. Holli Conger has provided illustrations for everything from greeting cards to children's books. She approaches each project with whimsy and creativity guaranteed to put a smile on any face. Holli lives in Nashville, Tennessee.

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