Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Haskins (The Story of Stevie Wonder) and Velasquez (Grandma's Records) pay tribute to Muhammad Ali in this rather adoring yet noteworthy biography, which brings to light the boxing great's many types of triumphs. The author knows how to interest kids, tracing the fighter's career to his 12th birthday, when the theft of his new bicycle made him want to find the thief and beat him up; as Haskins tells it, a policeman advised him "that he had better learn how to fight first" and offered the boy boxing lessons at his gym. The hero is not invulnerable: then known as Cassius Clay, he was so afraid of flying that he bought his own parachute and wore it during the flight to the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome. Haskins recaps familiar highlights of Ali's life and career, including his decision to join the Nation of Islam (and his later embrace of world Islam); the loss of his title as world heavyweight champion when he refused, on religious grounds, to fight in the Vietnam War; his remarkable 1974 win over George Foreman to regain the crown; his experience with Parkinson's; and his surprise appearance as the final torch-bearer at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. A liberal sprinkling of Ali's famous rhymes provides additional insight into his personality. Velasquez does justice to the subject with his imaginatively conceived oil paintings; sometimes these approach a photographic crispness, sometimes they suggest Ali's inner victories and struggles. Informative and inspiring. Ages 6-10. (May) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 3-6 "The first boxer to win the heavyweight championship three times" is paid tribute in this easy-to-read biography in a picture-book format. Reflecting Ali's penchant for hyperbole, Haskins introduces his subject as larger than life. "No matter where he was, someone would know him. Someone would feed him. Someone would give him a place to sleep. He was probably the most famous person alive." That said, the author moves on to Ali's boyhood in racially segregated Louisville, KY, where, as Cassius Clay, he was introduced to boxing at the age of 12 and quickly demonstrated enormous talent. The boxer's rhyming boasts are highlighted in bold throughout the text. Haskins details Ali's decision to join the Nation of Islam, his refusal to join the army, and the negative impact these actions had on his reputation and career. The athlete's return to the ring in the 1970s, his retirement, and his struggle with Parkinson's Syndrome are also discussed. The book concludes with Ali's dramatic appearance at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, GA. Velasquez's fine oil portraits are worth noting as are his smaller illustrations, which capture the action in the ring like a series of photographic snapshots. Given Ali's recent return to the national scene, this book should find an immediate audience. -Alicia Eames, New York City Public Schools (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
(Primary, Intermediate) The oversized pages of this book are a good match for its larger-than-life subject. Plainspoken, economical prose traces the life of Muhammad Ali from his Kentucky childhood (as Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr.) and early career as an amateur boxer-culminating in a gold medal at the 1960 Summer Olympics-through the years he spent as heavyweight champion of the world, successfully defending or regaining his title in such still-famous bouts as ""The Rumble in the Jungle"" and ""The Thrilla in Manila."" The volume also follows Ali's personal journey as he converted to Islam, refused to fight in Vietnam, and continues to be ""the world's goodwill ambassador"" despite enduring the impairments of Parkinson's Syndrome. With some quotes from Ali, printed in a larger typeface, Haskins's text ably captures the personality of this champ, while Velasquez's page-dominating oil paintings offer pleasing stylistic variations, from montages and action-panel sequences to a powerful double-page spread showing Ali praying in a corner of the boxing ring. A chronology and bibliography (which focuses on books for young readers) are included. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
On the heels of the film, a new picture-book biography of the boxing powerhouse accorded the title of "Athlete of the Century." Simple declarative sentences take the reader from Cassius Clay's youth in Louisville through his boxing career and conversion to the Nation of Islam, to his draft-dodging accusation, political activism, and subsequent comeback. This style becomes increasingly ponderous, and although Haskins (One Love, One Heart, not reviewed, etc.) includes some of Ali's boastful rhymes, they cannot lift this leaden text off the mat. Sentences such as, "Cassius got better and better at boxing. He was very fast. He had quick reflexes," do nothing to capture the essence of the athleticism and brilliance that made Ali the Greatest. There is also an unfortunate tendency to oversimplify highly complex situations; for example, Ali's legal victory is described thus: "Eventually the Supreme Court, the highest court in the land, recognized Ali's devotion to his faith and ruled that he had been treated unfairly. American citizens have the right to refuse military service because of their religion." While the two statements are arguably true, they may lead young readers into believing that the decision in Ali's case was in some way precedent-setting, though it was most carefully written not to be. Velasquez's (Grandma's Records, 2001, etc.) lush oils dominate the page in monumental fashion. They frequently appear as montages or in sequences of stop-action frames, for a truly cinematic effect. While many are spectacular in themselves, when combined with the frequently worshipful text, the result is hagiography. Both the magnetic, complex subject and young readers deserve better. (Picture book/biography. 6-10)
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