Becoming Muhammad Ali, by James Patterson and Kwame Alexander. Illustrated by Dawud Anyabwile. Little, Brown and Company, Hachette. 2020. $22.99 ages 10 and up

 

"This is what he said:

"I'd like for them to say, he took a few cups of love, 
he took one tablespoon of patience, one teaspoon of 
generosity, one pint of kindness. He took one quart 
of laughter, one pinch of concern, and then he mixed
willingness with happiness, he added lots of faith, and 
he stirred it up well. Then he spread it over a span of a 
lifetime, and he served it to each and every deserving 
person he met."

Novels in verse tell amazing stories in a way that makes them accessible to all readers. Choosing the right words at every turn takes remarkable talent. Anyone who reads this blog will be aware of my admiration for Kwame Alexander's ability to tell a compelling story, most often in poetic form. For this biography, he teams up with James Patterson to share Muhammad Ali's early life as Cassius Clay. 

They choose to tell about Clay's activism, boxing career, and family life in a series of 'rounds' which act as chapters that share the events that shaped his life from his first fight in 1958. In alternating voices, readers hear Cassius's friend Lucky (in prose) speak of Clay's life in Louisville, Ky, his family, his many experiences at school and in his community. Each of these experiences led to his success in the ring, and his drive to be what his grandfather told him he could be. 

"know who you are, Cassius.
And whose you are.
Know where you going
and where you from."

The other narration, in free verse, belongs to Cassius, who shows readers the drive he felt to be the best, his magnetic and winning personality, and his work ethic. Supported by his family in a segregated neighborhood, he felt the sting of racism every day. Both he and his brother had a dream for better things. They wanted to be like Joe Louis. It was as a young boxer that Cassius began to proved himself.  Not only did he fight with grit and passion, he had a gift for words. 

Alexander's poetry, Patterson's prose and the full-page, telling, black-and-white illustrations present a time in history when social mores often determined a life's path. This book celebrates being black: 

"I am from Sunday fried chicken and chocolate birthday cakes,
from Levy Brothers’ slacks and shiny white shoes,
from Cash and Bird,
from storytellers and good looks,

from don’t say you can’t till you try.”

We are left to hope that the next chapter in this story will be told by the same team.