A superb portrait of Afro-Brazilian endurance.
The mighty history of capoeira—and one of the form’s central figures.
A cultural expression that blends fighting, music, dance, and theatrics, capoeira arose from the beliefs and customs of the African peoples who were forced into slavery by the Portuguese in Brazil. Tonatiuh details capoeira’s tumultuous rise, from its banning in Brazil in 1890, two years after the abolition of slavery, to “a celebrated art” across the early 20th century. Mestre Bimba (born Manoel dos Reis Machado in 1899) developed a new kind of capoeira called Luta Regional Baiana. Determined to change the form’s “bad reputation,” Bimba opened an academia and taught capoeira in a formalized manner, leading to public bouts that reinforced his notion of capoeira as an artistic expression of resistance. Thanks to Mestre Bimba’s struggles, as well as the endeavors of other capoeiristas and a slightly more tolerant Brazilian government, capoeira eventually was decriminalized in the 1950s, leading to greater participation, including among previously excluded segments of the population such as women. The author/illustrator’s trademark pre-Columbian-flavored artwork lends itself wonderfully to the subject matter, with exaggerated poses and razor-sharp linework conveying body movements. Several illustrations depict shadows of capoeiristas as silhouettes of enslaved people, emphasizing the form’s origins. A glossary and in-depth author’s note provide further illuminating context. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
A superb portrait of Afro-Brazilian endurance. (endnotes, photos, bibliography) (Informational picture book. 5-10)Pub Date: Oct. 24, 2023
ISBN: 9781419764585
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Abrams
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2023
Blandly inspirational fare made to evoke equally shrink-wrapped responses.
An NBA star pays tribute to the influence of his grandfather.
In the same vein as his Long Shot (2009), illustrated by Frank Morrison, this latest from Paul prioritizes values and character: “My granddad Papa Chilly had dreams that came true,” he writes, “so maybe if I listen and watch him, / mine will too.” So it is that the wide-eyed Black child in the simply drawn illustrations rises early to get to the playground hoops before anyone else, watches his elder working hard and respecting others, hears him cheering along with the rest of the family from the stands during games, and recalls in a prose afterword that his grandfather wasn’t one to lecture but taught by example. Paul mentions in both the text and the backmatter that Papa Chilly was the first African American to own a service station in North Carolina (his presumed dream) but not that he was killed in a robbery, which has the effect of keeping the overall tone positive and the instructional content one-dimensional. Figures in the pictures are mostly dark-skinned. (This book was reviewed digitally.)
Blandly inspirational fare made to evoke equally shrink-wrapped responses. (Picture book. 6-8)Pub Date: Jan. 10, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-250-81003-8
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 15, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
Self-serving to be sure but also chock-full of worthy values and sentiments.
The junior senator from California introduces family and friends as everyday superheroes.
The endpapers are covered with cascades of, mostly, early childhood snapshots (“This is me contemplating the future”—caregivers of toddlers will recognize that abstracted look). In between, Harris introduces heroes in her life who have shaped her character: her mom and dad, whose superpowers were, respectively, to make her feel special and brave; an older neighbor known for her kindness; grandparents in India and Jamaica who “[stood] up for what’s right” (albeit in unspecified ways); other relatives and a teacher who opened her awareness to a wider world; and finally iconic figures such as Thurgood Marshall and Constance Baker Motley who “protected people by using the power of words and ideas” and whose examples inspired her to become a lawyer. “Heroes are…YOU!” she concludes, closing with a bulleted Hero Code and a timeline of her legal and political career that ends with her 2017 swearing-in as senator. In group scenes, some of the figures in the bright, simplistic digital illustrations have Asian features, some are in wheelchairs, nearly all are people of color. Almost all are smiling or grinning. Roe provides everyone identified as a role model with a cape and poses the author, who is seen at different ages wearing an identifying heart pin or decoration, next to each.
Self-serving to be sure but also chock-full of worthy values and sentiments. (Picture book/memoir. 5-8)Pub Date: Jan. 8, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-984837-49-3
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: Jan. 7, 2019
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2019
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