Cover Image: Muhammad Ali

Muhammad Ali

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

Gorgeous picture book telling the story of the greatest boxer that ever lived. it goes through all aspects of his life from changing his name to taking a stand against war. These books are pitched perfectly for the age range without ignoring many of the controversial but important aspects of his life.

Was this review helpful?

Another great leader for Little People, Big Dreams. Muhammad Ali is one of the greatest and he set out to do so. Being a leader doesn't just mean being the best, but helping others. Ali is a memorable fighter, but readers will also learn about the peace he wanted to share.


The illustrations were bold and vibrant. At times, the text was difficult to read.

Was this review helpful?

'Muhammad Ali' by Mª Isabel Sánchez Vegara with illustrations by Brosmind is a board book for young readers about the famous fighter and all the things he fought for.

Born Cassius Clay, little Muhammad Ali had his bike stolen and wanted to fight the thief, but was directed towards boxing by a policeman. From there, the rest is history. His unwillingness to fight in Vietnam, and changing his name. To the big fights and how he kept fighting for people even after his career was over.

This is a really great series, but occasionally one volume rises above the rest for me. In this case, it's because of the really great art by Brosmind. The pictures are detailed and have a kind of pop art sensibility. I looked Brosmind up after reading this, and I was impressed by the work I saw. This book is also fun and another impressive addition to this series.

I received a review copy of this ebook from Quaro Publishing Group-Frances Lincoln Children's Books, and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.

Was this review helpful?

This is a simple, inspirational tale touching on sporting achievement, religious conviction and selflessness. The art style is not my favourite of the series, but that is personal taste. Lovely to see this range expanding to include male role models too.

Was this review helpful?

I absolutely adore this series of children’s books and this is no exception.

It tells the story of Muhammad Ali, his early life and growing up to be a world famous boxer. It also mentions his love of the Islamic religion and his change of name to acknowledge that. He may have been a boxer but he was a kind and gentle man with strong principles and beliefs. This lovely books explains this in a simple way and has great, quirky illustrations that children will love. It will show children that you can be strong and kind at the same time....wonderful

I would like to thank the Author/the Publishers/NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for a fair and honest review

Was this review helpful?

What a great introduction to Muhammad Ali! There is just enough information to get a young reader interested and eventually lead to more research at an older age. It will be helpful for parents to know a little more on the subject because the book is short but touches on various aspects of his life that we can turn into a deeper discussion depending on the child’s age. The pictures are bright and vivid. My son wanted to pat the pages on my iPad as we read the digital version! We have some other books in this series and love them all, and will certainly be purchasing this one when it comes out! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

Was this review helpful?

I really enjoyed this book and I think the illustrations and story would appeal to a lot of kids. The author did a great job of hitting the major aspects of Ali's life in a short book.

Was this review helpful?

The Little People, Big dreams series shares the lives of extraordinary people through adorable, quirky illustrations and simple language. Each person represented has had an incredible impact on the world, but started life as a child with a dream.

This new edition tells the story of 'The Greatest', legendary boxer Muhammad Ali. Beginning with his younger years in Kentucky, back when he was called Cassius Clay, we see that having his bike stolen inspires the young boy to want to learn to fight. Quick on his feet, clever and sharp, Muhammad Ali spouted poetry outside the ring that his opponents dismissed as 'trash-talk'. Soon, he was winning every fight he took on and even took home a gold medal from the Olympics.

This book explores how Muhammad Ali was always an advocate of believing in oneself and doing what is right. On top of being a supporter of African-American rights, the boxer was also involved with many charities, helping people all over the world.

Both a factual and a moving book, this account of Muhammad Ali's life is a wonderful addition to the Little People, Big Dreams series.

Was this review helpful?

Oh man, how cute is this art style? Once again an adorable installment of the "Little People, Big Dreams" series, which I will now immediately tell my brother about, who is a massive fan of boxing. Also again, I'm not sure whether Ali's commitment to causes outside of sports will be comprehended by the target audience (well, kids), as the topic is not elaborated on - so perhaps parents reading this to their children should prepare to explain a little further. Still, absolutely recommendable!

Was this review helpful?

Muhammed Ali inspires young readers to stand up for what you believe in, even if the rest of society does not stand with you. Every child's library needs these books.

Was this review helpful?

Another great title in the series ‘Little people, big dreams’, the book has beautiful illustrations in bright bold colours, full of vibrant energy, which is very appropriate considering that this is the story of one of the greatest athletes in world history. The spread about Cassius’s rhyme-trash-talk-poetry was hilarious. I also loved the way the book shows not only his perseverance in getting sport titles, but also his dedication to his beliefs.

Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing group for the ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Once again Little People Big Dreams provides a well -rounded biography that’s informative for both children and the adults reading to them. Ali was a complex man that made some controversial decisions during his time and I liked the way Sanchez Vegara presented them. I also enjoyed the illustrations of this one too.

Was this review helpful?

This is another entry in the excellent Little People, Big Dreams series. In it, young readers will learn about Cassius Clay and how and why he transformed himself into Muhammad Ali. There is a lot about fighting but not only fighting in the ring. The reader learns that there were also causes that this principled man fought for. As always, there are additional photos and facts at the end of the book as well as suggestions of other resources.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for another entry in this series. The opinions expressed are my own.

Was this review helpful?

My 6 year old really enjoyed this book’s illustrations and learning more about Muhammad Ali. Her favorite part was actually getting to see some of the pictures of the real Ali in the back of the book and compare them to the illustrations. Really a beautiful book!

Was this review helpful?

The ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The ‘My First Little People, Big Dreams’ series provides informative and inspirational biographies about people who left a mark on this earth, no matter what difficulties they have encountered.
These stories are very short, but that’s because they’re books for children, so it’s totally understandable.
I think they are a very smart and wonderful way to introduce little children to such important figures.
This one focuses on the famous boxer Muhammad Ali. What I really liked about it, it's that it didn't just talk about his trainings and success in his sport, but it also showed which were his beliefs and values in his every day life.

Was this review helpful?

Il ritratto di un campione, che fu campione non solo sul ring ma anche nella scelta  di opporsi a una guerra, quella del Vietnam, che riteneva ingiusta, perdendo la sua posizione e la stima di molti. ma non il rispetto di se stesso e di quello in cui credeva.

Il primo volume al maschile di questa meravigliosa serie è dedicato a Muhammad Ali, nato Cassius Clay; e non potevo non appropriarmene immediatamente.

Mio padre, da piccola, mi raccontava la storia della boxe, e anche se non ho mai visto un incontro, né dal vivo, né in tv, conosco l'incontro di Kinshasa come se avessi assistito dagli spalti.

Un grande atleta, e un ricordo caro: come non tenermi caro questo volume?

Was this review helpful?

I love this series and use it frequently in our home school. I love teaching my kids about heroes from the past - while also meeting them on their level intellectually. I've found these books to be a great starting point and when my kids show interest in a specific person, we find more books about them.

Was this review helpful?

I have bought several of the 'Little People, Big Dreams' book series for the school library and would encourage others to do so too. They offer an insight into the lives of people who genuinely made a difference for a variety of reasons. I find the texts engaging and the visual style is certainly eye-catching, although I feel the illustration style in this book is a little too busy and draws away from the text rather than enhancing it. The Muhammad Ali text will be enjoyed by my students and I can see it prompting discussion about his life and achievements through guided reading sessions. I'll be adding several copies to our school library.

Was this review helpful?

Vegara's book on Muhammad Ali was cute and informative, but fell a little short for me. Yes, he was a famous boxer, but he was so much more than that. Vegara touched on it in the last few pages, but the majority of the book was spent on his childhood. I must admit that I was not a fan of the illustrations either.

Thank you NetGalley and Lincoln Children's Books for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy.

Was this review helpful?

Another inspiring story of a great personality in world history will be read from this addition to the Little People, Big Dreams book series. I'm not a fan of boxing or any sports in particular, and although I know who Muhammad Ali is, I never knew his life story. Thanks to this little book, I was able to have a brief story of who this phenomenal icon is.

Young readers, in particular, will be inspired by how Muhammad Ali's dedication to being the best has paid off in the end. His courage for speaking up for what he believed is right and helping others is a great example or role model for young kids to follow. Lastly, the vibrant and illustrations drawn by Brosmind are also eye-catching and quite interesting to look into, which I think will be very appealing to kids.

Was this review helpful?