New Read: Game of Freedom
In the powerful, vibrant biography Game of Freedom, award-winning creator Duncan Tonatiuh sheds light on the legacy of a legendary capoeira player, Mestre Bimba, who resisted racial oppression through art and turned a marginalized practice into a global phenomenon. Although it is debated when and where capoeira—an art form that blends martial arts, dance, acrobatics, music, and spirituality—originated exactly, one thing is certain: in the early 20th century, Brazil was the only country in the world where capoeira was played, and it was mainly practiced by people of African descent. In 1890, two years after Brazil officially abolished slavery, the game was outlawed. Wealthy, lighter-skinned society feared and looked down on capoeira, seeing it as a game for malandros—what people in power called the poor Black communities they disdained. But in the early 1920s in the city of Salvador, a man called Bimba advocated for capoeira, and those who practiced it, demanding they be treated with dignity and respect. Duncan Tonatiuh's lyrical prose and beloved full-color illustrations, inspired by pre-Columbian codices, tell the story of arguably the greatest capoeirista of all time, who fought to turn a misunderstood, persecuted Afro-Brazilian activity into a celebrated art practiced by millions around the world. In 2014, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) named capoeira an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, a distinction awarded because of the game's promotion of social integration and the memory it holds of the struggle against historical oppression. From an award-winning author-illustrator, Game of Freedom is a stirring celebration of solidarity and resistance through art.
https://rivershare.overdrive.com/rivershare-davenport/content/media/9695029
https://rivershare.overdrive.com/rivershare-davenport/content/media/9695029
Something for Everyone
New Books Recommended for Children
From seed to harvest, from loom to shop, to a gift for Girma, this lyrical story of the Ethiopian Gabi is a beautiful celebration of weaving, community, and culture.
Written in the cadence of The House That Jack Built, this vibrant and lushly illustrated tale pays tribute to the Gabi— a traditional Ethiopian cloth that is used to celebrate both community and culture. From the tiny seed to the fluffy white cotton, from the steady hands of the farmer to the swift fingers of the weaver, from the busy shopkeeper to a gift for a loved one, follow the journey of the Gabi that Girma wore in this lively and rhythmic tale that’s perfect to read aloud.
Written in the cadence of The House That Jack Built, this vibrant and lushly illustrated tale pays tribute to the Gabi— a traditional Ethiopian cloth that is used to celebrate both community and culture. From the tiny seed to the fluffy white cotton, from the steady hands of the farmer to the swift fingers of the weaver, from the busy shopkeeper to a gift for a loved one, follow the journey of the Gabi that Girma wore in this lively and rhythmic tale that’s perfect to read aloud.
