Viva Mexico: Story of Benito Juarez & Cinco de Mayo

I grew up reading Argentina Palacios' books and I can't believe I'm the first person to review this one, probably her masterpiece (although she is young still, and I wouldn't put it past her to write another good one). Palacios is the Panamanian-born New York based author of several children's books and she has always done a fine job re-telling the legends and folk tales of the indigenous people of Peru, Latin America, Central America, even the Spanish speaking people of the West Indies; and she has often provided for the children of those lands up todate and accurate translations of the beloved US children's writers (like Beverly Cleary). VIVA MEXICO is a little diofferent for her, but it just goes to show you, a talented writer doesn't have to depend on re-telling the same old folk tales. This book is a remarkable book of history--with no talking animals here--and it just "happens" to be written for kids, with cute illustrations in bright, primary colors, and it tells the story of Benito Juarez, a boy from the Zapotec Indian tribe who grew up the lowest of the low and yet somehow found it within himself to climb and scratch his way to the Presidential Palace of Mexico City and sit on its throne there. Life wasn't all peaches and cream for Juarez, for he had to fight one of the bloodiest battles ever fought on this continent, the so-called Battle of Puebla. It so happens that this battle took place on May 5--in Spanish we say, "Cinco de Mayo" and school children and patriotic adults celebrate it everywhere we honor the spirit of a free Mexico. It's funny hearing the explanation of phrases you've heard your whole life long and never understood the meaning of, and that's why we are so grateful to author Palacios. By the way, this book, like the AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MALCOLM X, was edited by the great Alex (ROOTS) Haley. Maybe one of these days Sra. Palacios will drop her cloak of silence and pen an autobiography of her own, revealing among other things what it was like to work with Alex Haley while creating her own masterpiece. Here's hoping!