(2) K-3 Illustrated by AG Ford. Young Langston is thrilled when he sees a flyer announcing that Muhammad Ali, "boxing champion of the world," is coming to town for a "meet & greet" at the high school. Ford's quiet city neighborhood scenes give way to two powerful images of Ali himself. First the boxer jabs in front of a yellow background with frenetic purple and white swirls resembling butterfly wings, his famous words "float like a butterfly and sting like a bee" incorporated into the text. In the following spread his boxing glove is aimed straight at readers, as Ali throws down one of his signature poetic boasts. While excitedly waiting for the event, Langston gets "his afro shaped to look...like the champ's" and demonstrates his own ­Ali-inspired swagger: "I'm smart as a fox / and fast as a hound. / I can sneak up on you / without making a sound." When the big day finally arrives, Langston and his mother are denied admission (it's for high school students only), but help comes from a surprising source. The lively third-person narrative and the bright acrylic and colored-pencil illustrations are a one-two punch that will hook readers. An author's note adds more information about Ali's influence and explains the story's roots in an actual event.

Reviewer: Dean Schneider | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2022

(1) 4-6 Illustrated by Dawud Anyabwile. Patterson and Alexander, two heavyweights in the world of books (and their respective publishing houses), unite to tell the story of how Cassius Clay grew up to be Muhammad Ali, one of the greatest boxers of all time. The book, authorized by the Ali estate, is not so much a biographical novel as a chance to hang out with young Cassius Clay as he lives his daily life in Louisville in the late 1950s--going to school, being with friends, shooting hoops, watching boxing on television, and working, while navigating the dangers of life in a segregated city, all of which is related in lean and eloquent first-person verse with plenty of white space on each page. Clay's poetic narration is framed by first-person prose sections (called "rounds" instead of chapters) by his (fictional) best friend Lucius Wakely, who, by the end of the story, writes for a big newspaper and is at ringside for the "Rumble in the Jungle," Ali's 1974 fight in Zaire against George Foreman. Anyabwile, who illustrated the graphic novel edition of Alexander's The Crossover (rev. 5/14), adds a powerful visual element with occasional dynamic, full-page black-and-white images; and a short bibliography is appended.

Reviewer: Dean Schneider | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2020

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Eric Velasquez. Plainspoken, economical prose traces the boxer's life from his Kentucky childhood and early amateur career, through the years he spent as heavyweight champion. Haskins's text also ably portrays Ali's personal and spiritual journeys, while Velasquez's page-dominating oil paintings offer pleasing stylistic variation, from montages and action panel sequences to double-page spreads. This new edition features a timeline updated with Ali's death in 2016.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2002

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Frank Morrison. After portraying some famous fight scenes, this biography flashes back to show the childhood incident that pushed Cassius Clay into the boxing ring: a stolen bicycle. As Cassius trains and builds agility and strength, he also builds a reputation as a winner. Morrison's oil paintings are full of drama and movement. Back matter highlights later facets of the champion's life. Reading list, websites. Bib.

Reviewer: Lauren Causey

(3) 4-6 Captured History: Sports series. These volumes each examine the impact of a single famous sports photograph, starting with an in-depth description of the moment captured. The authors then zoom out to examine surrounding events: civil rights unrest in America during the 1968 Mexico City Olympics (Black Power) and Muhammad Ali's sometimes controversial career (Ali's Knockout). An exciting and unique approach to history. Reading list, timeline. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers the following Captured History: Sports titles: Ali's Knockout Punch and Black Power Salute.

Reviewer: Kristy Pasquariello

(4) 4-6 Gateway Biographies series. Sports icon Ali is briefly profiled in this superficial introduction. From his Chicago childhood spent sparring in a neighborhood gym to his successful career and controversial political activism, this biography hits the highlights of Ali's life and career without digging too deeply. Aside from all the undefined boxing terminology, this is an approachable resource for young report-writers. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Jessica Tackett MacDonald

(3) 4-6 True Stories, Real People series. Each short, inspiring biography is divided into four or five chapters written in an objective, unpretentious manner. Quotation sources are fastidiously footnoted and listed in the back matter. Navigation is easy thanks to clean layouts and a simple color scheme (orange photo captions, navy call-out boxes). Great for school assignments and engaging enough for pleasure reading. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers the following True Stories, Real People titles: Alia Muhammad Baker, Aron Ralston, Malala Yousafzai, Abby Sunderland, and Bethany Hamilton.

Reviewer: Amy Seto Forrester

(4) K-3 Big Buddy Olympic Biographies series. As each book states, these professional football teams "have had good seasons and bad. But time and again, they've proven themselves." The volumes focus on the good, highlighting the teams' Super Bowl victories, winning coaches, and star players. Accompanying the choppy texts are plenty of color and archival photographs showcasing players, stadiums, and fans. Timeline. Glos., ind. Review covers these Big Buddy Books: The NFL's Greatest Teams titles: Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, and Buffalo Bills.

Reviewer: Elissa Gershowitz

(4) K-3 Zoom In on Trailblazing Athletes series. This biography series features minority and female athletes (four men, two women) who helped shatter glass ceilings in their respective sports (tennis, golf, baseball, and boxing). The simplistic texts, which align to Common Core Standards, often raise more questions than answers but may inspire further reading. Archival photographs add interest, and lists of quick stats and key dates are appended. Glos., ind. Review covers the following Zoom In on Trailblazing Athletes titles: Arthur Ashe, Babe Didrikson Zaharias, Billie Jean King, Jackie Robinson, Muhammad Ali, and Roberto Clemente.

Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter

(3) 4-6 The author chronicles the life and career of boxer Muhammad Ali--from his childhood as Cassius Clay to his 1960 Olympic gold medal to his igniting the flame of the 1996 games--through the guise of fictional news articles, letters, and interviews incorporating historical events (civil rights movement, Vietnam War, etc.). Archival photographs, sidebars, and an extensive timeline supplement the informative text. Bib.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Jamel Akib. This inspiring biography of Bengali "Banker to the Poor" Muhammad Yunus begins with precepts he learned in childhood. Yunus's path to becoming an economist known for small, low-interest loans to the impoverished ("microcredit") and to receiving the Nobel Peace Prize is back-dropped by striking chalk-pastel illustrations in vibrant colors. An afterword with more information about Grameen Banks is included. Bib.

Reviewer: Lauren Causey

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Linda Wolfsgruber. A camel suffers under hard-driving master Halim. The Prophet Muhammad comforts the beast, and the camel weeps. Its tears "sifted into Halim's dream," and Halim too weeps and awakes filled with compassion. This tale "inspired by a hadith" (an "account of the Prophet's words or actions passed from generation to generation") resonates with universal meaning. The story is beautifully supported by desert-hued full-bleed monoprints.

Reviewer: Joanna Rudge Long | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2014

(2) YA Ali-Karamali balances facts, personal experience, and thoughtful discussion in this accessible introduction to Islam, written in an easygoing, occasionally humor-sparked style. Explanations of rules and practices lead naturally into good summations of Muhammad's life, the religion's spread, the plurality of Muslim expression, and distinctions between universals and varieties of interpretation; this will serve for both personal reading and research. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Roger Sutton | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2012

(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

(4) YA American Rebels series. This biography of the three-time heavyweight world champion, Vietnam War protester, and Nobel Peace Prize nominee includes useful context-setting background; Micklos's play-by-play descriptions of Ali's bouts provide just enough detail for boxing fans. Some photographs and pull-quotes help break up the dense pages. Reading list, timeline, websites. Bib., glos., ind.

Reviewer: Lana Barnes

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Alix Delinois. "I am the greatest fighter in the world. I am the greatest poet in the world! I am the greatest! I am the greatest!" Myers begins this exuberant picture book when Muhammad Ali was still known as Cassius Clay and includes plenty of quotations from the celebrated athlete. Delinois's painterly illustrations express the famous boxer's energy as well as the political upheaval around him. Timeline.

Reviewer: Chelsey Philpot

(3) 4-6 Sterling Biographies series. Opinionated yet informative, these latest additions to the series blend anecdotes, quotations, and facts to create engaging portraits of six of America's greatest sports stars. With some of the subject matter overlapping, these biographies focus on their athletes' careers, but also offer insight into the social and political realities of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Photographs and sidebars are incorporated into the reader-friendly designs. Timeline. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Sterling Biography titles: Lou Gehrig, Babe Ruth, Jesse Owens, Jim Thorpe, Jackie Robinson, and Muhammad Ali.

Reviewer: Chelsey Philpot

(2) K-3 Illustrated by François Roca. Winter borrows from Genesis to bring to life this picture book account of Muhammad Ali's boxing career: "IN THE BEGINNING was Jack Johnson..." Packed with all-capitalized, oversized words, the nimble text is visually powerful. In perfect counterpoint are Roca's realistic full-page oil paintings rendered in muted tones with an occasional punch of red.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger | Horn Book Magazine Issue: March, 2008

(2) 4-6 Illustrated by Bryan Collier. This book provides insight into the nuances of Ali's personality and the racism he fought with words and fists. Smith's extensive rhyming text mimics the cadence of the boxer's own poetic bravado; oversize quotes are interspersed. Collier's glowing, dignified mixed-media art captures the intensity of Ali's facial expressions and the explosive athleticism of the fighters. Timeline.

Reviewer: Christine M. Heppermann | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2008

(4) K-3 Fact Finders: Biographies: Great African Americans series. This volume describes highlights of Ali's boxing career, his decision to join the Nation of Islam, and his protest of the Vietnam War, which caused him to be barred from boxing during the peak of his career. Vibrant action photos and well-worded captions are the book's greatest strengths; the main text is somewhat choppy. The large typeface will assist struggling readers. Reading list, timeline. Glos., ind.

Reviewer: Laura A. Woollett