After 12-year-old Cassius Clay, as he was known then, had his new red bike stolen, he practiced at the gym and learned to fight back against injustice wherever he saw it. Illustrations in oils in rich browns, shades of grays, and white highlights show the fighter Muhammad Ali in many action poses exhibiting his strength and lightning speed. The strong diagonals in the compositions portray movement and excitement, from boyhood to boxing matches. A “POW!” in a large font peppers several pages as Ali conquers bout after bout to win 56 out of 61 professional fights. The People’s Champion, he was one of the most recognizable athletes in the world, whose poetic statements are legendary (“Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee—His hands can’t hit what his eyes can’t see!”). Back matter gives more information about his life in the ring, his conversion to the Nation of Islam, his struggles with Parkinson’s, and his death, on June 3, 2016. Sure to provide inspiration for young readers.
— Lolly Gepson