Capoeira: Game! Dance! Martial Art! [Hardcover]

George Ancona (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up

CAPOEIRA—it's a game, a dance, a martial art! It's a way of expressing oneself through movement and music. With action-packed photographs and accessible text, readers are introduced to this exciting, popular game.

At Madinga Academy in Oakland, California, a group of girls and boys practice the acrobatic moves of capoeira. Then they begin to play games to the infectious, rhythmic beat of traditional music and singing.

On to Brazil to experience capoeira in its historic birthplace, where it dates back four hundred years. Capoeira developed as a way of fighting among enslaved Africans, was outlawed the the government, and was permitted once again in 1930 as a martial art and game.

Back in Oakland, at an end-of-year ceremony, students receive their colored ropes indicating their levels of accomplishment. They also look forward to next year, and the fun of expressing themselves through the game, dance and martial art of capoeira.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Starred Review. Grade 2–6—Full-color photos and lively text introduce a sport that "combines dance, music, and acrobatics with fighting techniques." Action-packed pictures of capoeiristas—people who play capoeira—in both the United States and Brazil make this an eye-catching title. Ancona explains the basics of the game before delving into its history, helping readers with no background on the subject gain an understanding of the art before putting it into context. His discussion of the beginnings of capoeira, which was developed primarily by African slaves brought to Brazil. Short biographies of the two founders of the sport's most common modern schools are presented before returning to modern photographs that show some of the differences in styles of play. The participants represent a wide range of ages and ethnicities, reflecting the game's multicultural heritage. A glossary offers pronunciations and definitions for Portuguese words, which are also defined in the narrative. An excellent purchase for libraries that serve Brazilian populations or communities in which martial arts are popular.—Alana Abbott, James Blackstone Memorial Library, Branford, CT
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Rooted in acrobatic fighting techniques developed by African slaves in Brazil, Capoeira is a cultural tradition that is increasingly popular in the U.S. Ancona's photographic introduction to the movements and music that characterize Capoeira begins at a Capoeira academy in Oakland, California, and vivid, color photographs show a class of young, multicultural students practicing basic moves of offense and defense. As the subtitle implies, Capoeira--part game, part dance, part martial art--is difficult to define, and even with Ancona's clear, uncomplicated words and engaging, step-by-step photographs of young capoeristas in action, readers may still struggle to grasp exactly what Capoeira is. Still, Ancona's photos give a sense of the complex, cartwheeling grace of its movements, and his enthusiasm and awe for his subject is contagious. Concise sections about Capoeira's history and its practice in contemporary Brazil, as well as a glossary of Portuguese phrases and a list of Capoeira resources, deepen this welcome, attractive title on a rarely covered subject of growing interest to many kids. Gillian Engberg
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 48 pages
• Publisher: Lee & Low Books (May 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1584302682
• ISBN-13: 978-1584302681
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 10.7 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,038,525 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Beautiful Introduction to Capoeira's Basic Concepts, March 8, 2010

By 

Marco Antonio Abarca (Colorado) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Capoeira: Game! Dance! Martial Art! (Hardcover)

My two kids have recently begun to learn how to play capoeira. We read this book because I thought they would get a kick out of seeing other children going through a similar experience. George Ancona begins his book by exploring how kids learn to play capoeira at a school in Oakland, California. He then moves on to tell his readers about the history of capoeira and of the important contributions of Mestres Bimba and Pastinha. The book then moves onto the capoeira instruction of children in Brazil and concludes with a bautizado where the Oakland students are presented with their cordaos.

"Capoeira" has beautiful color photographs and is well written. In this short book, George Ancona covers all the basic concepts of capoeira. Importantly, he touches on the fact that capoeira is as much an aesthetic as a series of martial art moves. I cannot imagine a better written, grade appropriate introduction to the art of capoeira. Highly recommended.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great gift for a martial arts lover, December 30, 2007

By 

The Well-Read Child "http://wellreadchild.blo... - See all my reviews

This review is from: Capoeira: Game! Dance! Martial Art! (Hardcover)

In Capoeira: Game! Dance! Martial Art!, George Ancona tells the story of Capoeira by following a classroom of students at the Mandiga Academy in Oakland, California. Kids reading the book are sure to get a kick out of the Portuguese nicknames of the students in the classroom from Reizinho (little king), to Perereca (tree frog), to Princesa (princess) to the name of the instructor, Malandro (scoundrel). In fact, Ancona uses a number of Portuguese words throughout the book when talking about Capoeira. He even includes a glossary with a pronunciation key in the back of the book for kids who want to practice speaking the words. Through pictures and Ancona's detailed descriptions these students teach different moves and techniques as well as names of traditional musical instruments used to play music during Capoeira games.

Ancona also takes us to Brazil and shows the impact of Capoeira on the Brazilian culture today. From the slums and beaches to actual Capoeira academies, we see vibrant photographs of kids of all ages and walks of life practicing this amazing art. A few years ago, I spent four months teaching English in Brazil and was fortunate enough to see Capoeira being played on the streets. While nothing can compare to seeing it in person, Ancona's book gives us a vivid picture and interesting history of the art.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good as an intro for my son, September 9, 2008

By 

M. Logan "matty bo" (Hayward, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Capoeira: Game! Dance! Martial Art! (Hardcover)

Good little book for kids on capoeira. My son liked it. I wished that there was more about how to do a few of the movements.