Ntozake Shange Books

Born Cassius Clay in segregated Louisville, Kentucky, Muhammad Ali grew up to become one of the greatest heavyweight boxing champions ever to step into the ring. Author, Ntozake Shange, details some of the highlights of Ali's life in this very spare, bare-bones biographical sketch. Each two page spread touches on an event in Muhammad Ali's life: his upbringing during the Jim Crow era in a solid, nurturing family; the bike theft that turned him towards boxing..."Somebody stole my bike, and I'm gonna whup 'em good."; his Olympic gold medal; the conversion to Islam, and his fights against Sonny Liston and Joe Frazier. Ms Shange is obviously an avid Ali fan, and the book comes off more as a tribute or hero worship than real biography. There's no meat here, no depth or understanding, just a short timeline of a few unconnected, important events in his life. The strongest part of Float Like A Butterfly are Edel Rodriguez's action-packed, comic-book-like artwork. His big, bold, and appealing illustrations are evocative and dramatic, and often tell more about Ali's life than the text. Written for youngsters 4-8, Float Like A Butterfly is a weak addition to the picture book biography genre. Kids interested in Muhammad Ali and/or boxing would do better to read James Haskin's Champion: The Story of Muhammad Ali.