I Shook Up the World: The Incredible Life of Muhammad Ali

Rating:
Summary: A Knockout. A Must for all...
Review: A beautifully written and illustrated book. A fresh and fun look at the life of one of the worlds most famous icons. Kids will love the pictures and poems. Of all the books for kids on Ali, this one stands out. If you love Ali; then this is a book you will appreciate for years. Thank you May May for a GREAT book. It was nice meeting you in Chicago. Your friends, Jorge,Christine,Lexie and Joey.

Rating:
Summary: Muhammad Ali's daughter tells kids her father's story
Review: Inspired by the life of her famous father, Maryum "May May" Ali wrote "I Shook Up the World: The Incredible Life of Muhammad Ali" as an encouragement to children to follow their dreams. This oversized volume is divided into "rounds" instead of chapters and illustrated by Patrick Johnson. The author, the oldest of nine children, starts with how her father began his boxing career, his success at the 1960 Olympic games, his most famous fights, and his activism during the civil rights movement. Through the book some of Ali's most famous fight poetry, including "float like a butterfly and sting like a bee." Muhammad Ali wrote the forward to the book and the back of the book includes a Chronology of his life (which does contain an error: it says Ali lost his Heavyweight title to Joe Frazier in 1971, but since he was stripped of the title in 1967 it was no longer his to defend). With Ali showing up more often in television commercials again, it is time for the next generation of readers to learn about the man who named "Sportsman of the 20th Century" by "Sports Illustrated."

Young readers will find Ali's story to be a nice example of the power of determination. The moral of the story actually comes from Ali's father, who told the young boy: "Always remember, Son, do what's inside your heart, and never give up on your dreams." Older readers, of course, grew up with Muhammad Ali being one of the most controversial and eventually one of the most admired and beloved sports athletes in American history. Consequently, we are likely to find the coverage of his conversion to Islam and his stance against the Vietnam War to be rather simplified. However, these are certainly complex issues that would be quite difficult to explain to young readers in this type of book and you cannot fault the decision to make Ali's life about overcoming adversity and rising to challenges without making race a large part of the equation. Johnson's artwork evinces what I believe is called the primitive style; there is quite a difference between the cover painting of Ali, the best illustration in "I Shook Up the World," and the final two-page spread showing the Champ and his nine children.

Rating:
Summary: Muhammad Ali's daughter tells kids her father's story
Review: Inspired by the life of her famous father, Maryum "May May" Ali wrote "I Shook Up the World: The Incredible Life of Muhammad Ali" as an encouragement to children to follow their dreams. This oversized volume is divided into "rounds" instead of chapters and illustrated by Patrick Johnson. The author, the oldest of nine children, starts with how her father began his boxing career, his success at the 1960 Olympic games, his most famous fights, and his activism during the civil rights movement. Through the book some of Ali's most famous fight poetry, including "float like a butterfly and sting like a bee." Muhammad Ali wrote the forward to the book and the back of the book includes a Chronology of his life (which does contain an error: it says Ali lost his Heavyweight title to Joe Frazier in 1971, but since he was stripped of the title in 1967 it was no longer his to defend). With Ali showing up more often in television commercials again, it is time for the next generation of readers to learn about the man who named "Sportsman of the 20th Century" by "Sports Illustrated."

Young readers will find Ali's story to be a nice example of the power of determination. The moral of the story actually comes from Ali's father, who told the young boy: "Always remember, Son, do what's inside your heart, and never give up on your dreams." Older readers, of course, grew up with Muhammad Ali being one of the most controversial and eventually one of the most admired and beloved sports athletes in American history. Consequently, we are likely to find the coverage of his conversion to Islam and his stance against the Vietnam War to be rather simplified. However, these are certainly complex issues that would be quite difficult to explain to young readers in this type of book and you cannot fault the decision to make Ali's life about overcoming adversity and rising to challenges without making race a large part of the equation. Johnson's artwork evinces what I believe is called the primitive style; there is quite a difference between the cover painting of Ali, the best illustration in "I Shook Up the World," and the final two-page spread showing the Champ and his nine children.

Rating:
Summary: My Elementary School Students Love This Book
Review: My son first used this book for a biography for fifth grade. I then added I Shook Up the World to my classroom library. The book is always displayed for Black History Month. Students ask me to read it to them, over and over. Boys love hearing about the boxing and especially like the funny poems Ali was famous for. The illustrations are big and colorful, just what children like. Every elementary classroom should have a copy of this book.