The Horn Book Guide

PICTURE BOOKS

Buitrago, Jairo

Jimmy the Greatest!

48 pp. | Groundwood | May, 2012 | Trade ISBN 978-1-55498-178-6 $18.95

(1) K-3 Translated by Elisa Amado. Illustrated by Rafael Yockteng. Understated poetic language permeates this story about Jimmy, who, inspired by a collection of clippings and books about Muhammad Ali, becomes a boxer. His small town could be anywhere in the tropics, but the (Colombian) author and illustrator do not identify it, giving the book more universal appeal. The illustrations' background blues and beiges highlight the stylized brown-skinned villagers.

Reviewer: Robin L. Smith | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2012