ALA Booklist (Thu Dec 01 00:00:00 CST 2016)

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 s 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.

Horn Book (Sun Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2018)

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.

Kirkus Reviews

Boxing legend Muhammad Ali comes to life for young readers. Close-up, in-your-face oil illustrations and a lively text design with plenty of onomatopoeia ("POW! POW! POW!") and quotations from the champ give readers a sense of the life and style of the great Muhammad Ali. Action scenes from the famous bouts with Sonny Liston, George Foreman, and Leon Spinks open the volume, which then goes back to a famous pivotal event in his life, when his bicycle is stolen and Cassius Clay (as was his name then) becomes determined to find the thief and "whup him." The policeman on the scene, Officer Joe Martin, suggests that Cassius learn to fight. The story continues in gyms, following Cassius' training days, abruptly jumping to a single page that wraps up his career and another that comments on Ali's public persona. This is slight treatment given that 10 pages are devoted to the bike scene. However, framing the story with an opening painting of a lone heavy bag and closing with a deserted boxing ring is visually effective. A two-page endnote on Ali's life offers plenty of details that might have been effectively incorporated into the story itself. As it is, readers may well be sufficiently tantalized to seek out other, more complete picture-book treatments. An eye-catching if incomplete treatment of the legend. (Picture book/biography. 3-7)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Barretta (Lincoln and Kennedy: A Pair to Compare) looks at how Muhammad Ali-s boxing career got its start: after the young Cassius Clay-s bike was stolen, a Louisville police officer encouraged him to spend time at a local boxing gym. Working in acrylic, Morrison (The Quickest Kid in Clarksville) creates visceral, dynamic action shots, whether it-s a young Cassius racing down a rainy street on his bicycle or an opening fight sequence that shows him besting Sonny Liston, George Foreman, and Leon Spinks to claim the title of world heavyweight champion three times. An extensive afterword fills in details about Ali-s life, faith, and activism. Ages 4-8. Agent: Lori Nowicki, Painted Words. (Jan.)

School Library Journal (Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 CST 2017)

K-Gr 2 A kid named Cassius Clay discovers boxing in this nonfiction picture book. Barretta sets the scene through Muhammad Ali's three record-setting heavyweight championship titles. Oversize comic bookstyle action words ("POW!") highlight Ali knocking out Sonny Liston, George Foreman, and Leon Spinks. Circling back to Ali's childhood, Barretta recounts the oft-cited origin story of 12-year-old Cassius riding high on his brand-new bike. Unfortunately, the bike disappears, and when Cassius reports the theft to police officer and boxing coach Joe Martin, threatening to "whup" the thief, Martin suggests that he first learn how to fight. Regular sessions at the gym develop in Cassius a single-minded determination to be the greatest boxer in the world. As he becomes a more public figure, his self-confidence never wavers, effectively illustrated by a few choice quotes, bold and set apart from the mostly invented dialogue. Morrison's dynamic oil paintings complement Barretta's lively text, capturing a self-assured Ali in detailed spreads. Action scenes full of movement and intensity draw readers into the boxing ring and depict Ali's growth from a gangly youth to a dominant athlete. Two pages of unfailingly positive biographical information fill in the rest of Ali's career. A brief bibliography and suggestions for additional reading are also appended, but no source notes are included. VERDICT This is an attractive choice as an inspirational read-aloud, but report writers will want to seek more nuanced and thorough sources. Chelsea Couillard-Smith, Hennepin County Library, MN