Review by Booklist Review
In Pastro's new picture book, capoeira, the Brazilian mixture of dance and martial art, is a family activity. Lucas wakes up in the morning excited for his batizado, the moving-up ceremony where he will demonstrate his capoeira moves in the roda, or circle, and receive his capoeira nickname, as his parents have done before him and as his little sister hopes to do someday. But when his turn comes, Lucas loses his ginga, or confident way of moving. With encouragement from his teacher and the help of his tambourine's rhythm, he regains his confidence and gets just the right name. The text dives into the world of capoeira, attempting to capture the rhythms of its music and introducing plenty of terms that will be new to many readers. (A glossary and informational page about capoeira in the back matter are helpful.) Lopes provides further atmosphere through illustrations that capture the bold style and movement of the martial art. An authentic-looking (and -sounding) glimpse into capoeira.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
