Cinco de Mayo marks the unlikely defeat of a large, well-trained French invading force by an undermanned Mexican army in the Battle of Puébla on May 5,1862. The victory against the French forces prevented Emperor Napoleon III from helping the Confederacy win the American Civil War. Dave Roos, on the History Channel’s webpage, “How Cinco de Mayo Helped Prevent a Confederate Victory in the Civil War,” writes,“Napoleon figured if he could get his hands on Mexico, it could become the first colony in a new French stronghold in North America. Abraham Lincoln was busy fighting the Civil War, so the Americans wouldn’t stand in Napoleon’s way. Even better, with a French puppet government installed in Mexico City, Napoleon could provide guns to the Confederacy in exchange for Southern cotton, a scarce commodity in Europe thanks to Union shipping blockades.” The pro-Union Latinos living in California, recognizing the importance of the defeat of the French were quick to celebrate the victory, and Cinco de Mayo celebrations continue to be more popular here in the United States than in Mexico. Roos writes in his article, “The critical timing of the French defeat at the first Battle of Puebla was not lost on Mexican-Americans and other Latinos living in California.” Today in the United States, Cinco de Mayo is celebrated to honor the rich culture of Mexico and the heritage of Mexican-Americans. A good video for kids about the holiday has been created by PBS Learning Media, and you can watch it here: Cinco de Mayo. I also recommend the great list of kids books created by Devon A. Corneal for Brightly: “15 Beautiful Books That Introduce Mexican Culture and History to Kids.” Gathered together here are books available for children celebrating Cinco de Mayo, Mexican culture and Mexican-American heritage on OverDrive/Libby, Hoopla and in the Library. Enjoy!

Celebra el Cinco de Mayo con un jarabe tapatío by Alma Flor Ada & F. Isabel Campoy
OverDrive
Library Catalog

Let Me Help!/¡Quiero Ayudar! by Alma Flor Ada & Angela Dominguez
OverDrive
Library Catalog

Salsa: Un poema para cocinar/A Cooking Poem by Jorge Argueta & Duncan Tonatiuh
OverDrive
Library Catalog

Cinco de Mayo by Emma Carlson Berne and Geraldine Rodriguez
OverDrive

Marco’s Cinco de Mayo by Lisa Bullard
OverDrive
Hoopla
Library Catalog

Cinco de Mayo by Sharon Katz Cooper (Read-Along)
OverDrive
Hoopla
Library Catalog

Cinco de Mouse-O! by Judy Cox & Kirby Heyborne
OverDrive
Hoopla
Library Catalog

Había una vez: mexicanas que hicieron historia by Pedro J. Fernández & Fa Orozco
OverDrive

Max Celebrates Cinco de Mayo by Mernie Gallagher-Cole & Adria F. Worsham
OverDrive
Library Catalog

Fiesta Femenina: Celebrating Women in Mexican Folktale by Mary-Joan Gerson & Maya Christina Gonzalez
Library Catalog

Carlos Santana: Sound of the Heart, Song of the World by Gary Golio & Rudy Gutierrez
OverDrive
Library Catalog

Cinco de Mayo by M.C. Hall
OverDrive
Hoopla
Library Catalog

Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez by Kathleen Krull & Yuyi Morales
OverDrive
Library Catalog

Cinco de Mayo by Linda Lowery & Christian Barillas (Read-Along)
OverDrive
Library Catalog

El Cinco de Mayo by Linda Lowery, Barbara Knutson & Christian Barillas
OverDrive
Hoopla
Library Catalog

Dreamers by Yuyi Morales
OverDrive
Hoopla
Library Catalog

Soñadores by Yuyi Morales
OverDrive
Library Catalog

Viva Frida by Yuyi Morales & Tim O'Meara
OverDrive
Hoopla
Library Catalog

El Cinco de Mayo by Julie Murray
OverDrive
Hoopla
Library Catalog

Nacho's Nachos: The Story Behind the World's Favorite Snack by Sandra Nickel & Oliver Dominguez
OverDrive
Library Catalog

Grandma's Chocolate/El chocolate de Abuelita by Mara Price, Lisa Fields & Gabriela Baeza Ventura
OverDrive
Library Catalog

¡Vamos! Let's Go Eat by Raúl the Third
OverDrive
Hoopla
Library Catalog

¡Vamos! Let's Go to the Market by Raúl the Third
OverDrive
Hoopla
Library Catalog

Danza! Amalia Hernández and El Ballet Folklórico de México by Duncan Tonatiuh
OverDrive
Library Catalog

Diego Rivera: His World and Ours by Duncan Tonatiuh
OverDrive
Library Catalog

The Princess and the Warrior: A Tale of Two Volcanoes by Duncan Tonatiuh
OverDrive
Library Catalog

ABeCedarios: Mexican Folk Art ABCs in English and Spanish by Cynthia Weill, K.B. Basseches & Moisés Jiménez
OverDrive
Library Catalog

Colores de la Vida: Mexican Folk Art Colors in English and Spanish by Cynthia Weill
OverDrive
Library Catalog

Count Me In: A Parade of Mexican Folk Art Numbers in English and Spanish by Cynthia Weill & The Aguilar Sisters
OverDrive
Library Catalog