BUYING ADVISORY: EL - ESSENTIAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
Benito Juarez is as essential to the history of Mexico as Abraham Lincoln is to the history of the United States. Beatriz Hernandez has created a picture book biography outlining the life and impact of Benito Juarez on the Mexican people and culture. Benito is presented from his childhood in a poor native village, through his education, and then through his political career. His family life is also documented and presents the reader with an awareness of the sacrifices he and they made for the dream of a free and equal Mexico to be realized.
Beatriz Gutierrez Hernandez is both author and illustrator. She uses a color scheme of muted greens and oranges that evoke a sense of the natural world Benito must have been familiar with. I liked how these colors created a sense of place for the reader. The outline of Benito's accomplishments is kept clear allowing the reader to feel the range of emotions that the story creates in a personal manner instead of being told what to feel. "Benito Juarez Fights for Justice" is a book that will be meaningful to Mexican American students because it is a history book for their family's culture.
J. Smith, Teacher Librarian
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