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New Graphic Biographies for the Young
Ali, Elvis, Amelia, and Neruda
The authors of The 101 Most Influential People Who Never Lived make the case that imaginary characters (King Arthur, Cinderella, Nancy Drew, and others) are more likely to shape our lives than real-life folks. I don’t need to be persuaded; the real-life biographies available during my childhood– lives of historical figures, celebrity athletes, and Catholic saints–were often dull. These four new biographies, however, are different because they present their lives in graphic ways. Incidentally, they also have a shared message: Muhammad Ali, Elvis Presley, Amelia Earhart, and Pablo Neruda didn’t hang back. They were audacious.
By Jonah Winter; illustrated by François Roca
(Ages: 4–8. Schwartz and Wade. $16.99)
In quasi-Biblical language, Jonah Winter describes the Coming of the Prophet who was Muhammad Ali. From the time he won gold medals at the Olympics and changed his name from Cassius Clay, through his taking the Heavyweight Boxing crown from Sonny Liston, the Champ was different. As Winter rightly observes, other boxers growled and grunted, but Ali talked and talked–mostly about himself and how he was The Greatest.
