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Dad, Me, and
Muhammad Ali
by Felix Manuel
Rodriguez
here is an
undeniable charm to
this book.
First of all, its
topic is Muhammad
Ali, and who doesn't
love any story about
this boxing legend?
But there is more to
it than that.
It revolves around a
nine-year old boy
named, Jo-Jo, who is
the real star of
this book. In
many ways, he is
very much like a
child his age--he
likes to have fun,
which can mean being
physically active,
he likes having
idols, and he makes
mistakes. And
when he ruins his
father's autographed
picture of Muhammad
Ali, we get a sense
of the extent to
which a loving child
will go to make up
for his mistakes.
The autographed
picture, after all,
holds a special
place in his
father's heart, for
he is one of Ali's
greatest fans.
Rodriguez has an
undeniable ear for
great dialogue, and
he has a great sense
of what it means to
write a children's
book. I have
to admit that the
book took me back to
the days when before
boxing became a
Pay-Per-View sport,
a time when fathers
devoted themselves
to it. I can't
help but think that
young readers will
learn quite a bit
about that history,
while adult readers
will reminisce about
The Greatest and his
memorable
contributions to the
sport.
Dad, Me and
Muhammad Ali is
a true winner, and
like one of the
legend's boxing
matches, it has
great rhythm from
beginning to end.
There is much to
enjoy in this
book--from the
colorful characters
to the narrative
itself. The
author skillfully
weaves a tale that
many will appreciate
and love. |