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Summary
Summary
Joe Louis was a fighter, a world champion boxer, a "punching machine." But more important, Joe Louis was a hero.At the beginning of his fighting career, he was a hero and a symbol of hope to African Americans.Later, Joe Louis became a hero to all Americans, uniting blacks and white boxing fans in their hatred of the Nazis and their desire for him to beat the German fighter Max Schmeling.With powerful text and luminous illustrations, the award-winning, picture-book team of David A.Adler and Terry Widener has brought to life the true story of one determined individual who overcame racism and poverty ...and inspired a nation.Includes a time line highlighting key events in the boxer's life.
Author Notes
David A. Adler was born in New York City. He attended Queen's College in New York City and later, earned an MBA in Marketing from New York University.
He writes both fiction and non-fiction. He is the author of Cam Jansen mysteries and the Andy Russell titles. His titles has earned him numerous awards including a Sydney Taylor Book Award for his title "The Number on My Grandfather's Arm," "A Picture Book of Jewish Holidays" was named a Notable Book of 1981 by the American Library Association and "Our Golda" was named a Carter G. Woodson Award Honor Book.
(Bowker Author Biography)
Reviews (3)
School Library Journal Review
Gr 2-6-This creative team's collaboration packs a powerful punch. Born in Alabama in 1914, Joseph Louis Barrow, grandson of slaves, grew up in a small farmhouse with no electricity or running water. His father was sent to a state hospital for "the Colored Insane" when the boy was two. In 1926, his mother remarried, and the family moved to Detroit. When he wasn't working or attending class, Joe would box with his friends. After one visit to a gym to "see some real boxers," he was hooked; he went on to win almost every fight on the amateur circuit. In 1934, Louis turned pro. Though early fights against whites were racially charged, perceptions shifted in '36 when he fought Max Schmeling, who represented Nazi Germany. Devastated when he lost this pivotal match, Louis won the rematch in '38, becoming the new world champion and a hero for all Americans. The author's notes mention the racist jungle images in early press coverage and that Schmeling saved children from the Nazis and later became friends with Louis. The action-packed acrylics capture the setting and emotions-Widener's signature muscular figures are particularly apt here. Expressive faces reveal a mother's grief at the sight of her bloodied, battered son; the ring announcer's concern about public reaction to the 1935 mixed-race fight between Louis and Primo Carnera, and more. Pair this title with Tonya Bolden's The Champ: The Story of Muhammad Ali (Knopf, 2004) for a knockout unit on African-American sports heroes.-Barbara Auerbach, New York City Public Schools (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
(Primary, Intermediate) A straightforward text outlines Joe Louis's boxing career, covering milestone matches and never downplaying the racism he fought outside the ring. The book's tight focus accentuates the irony that Louis, a black man, could unite Americans to cheer for him in his 1938 match against Max Schmeling, a Nazi fighter who represented the most racist society of that time. The back matter, which offers a series of interesting facts about Louis's life, adds another layer to the drama by noting that Schmeling was instrumental in saving children during the war -- and that he and Louis later became friends. No knockout punch delivers the theme that actions, not race, define the worth of a man; rather, it's developed through a series of subtle but effective references. Widener's near-deco acrylics not only complement the historical setting but also create a solid American figure, imposing in the ring, fearless in army combat, and vulnerable in loss. A source list is appended. b.c. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
Gr. 2-4. In Adler and Widener's latest picture-book biography, forceful text and pictures tell how Louis, the grandson of slaves, found his niche in what he termed a "no-place-to-go world." Both contributors play down the controversial aspects of a sport that many believe glorifies violence, focusing instead on an underprivileged child's achievements through unstinting effort and avoiding graphic depictions of punches and injuries. Dominating the narrative are Louis' historic matches with Germany's Max Schmeling, events that spurred Americans to form an unprecedented united front in support of a black champion. Widener paints in his trademark muscular oils, reminiscent of WPA murals. Although this style beautifully captures his subject's grim determination and imposing physique, it also somewhat disconcertingly reflects the era's biases in depicting blacks with slightly caricatured facial features. Bulleted author's notes and a brief summary of sources conclude. For more pugilism in picture books, see Tonya Bolden and R. Gregory Christie's wilder The Champ: The Story of Muhammad Ali 0 (2004) or William Miller and Rodney S. Pate's fictional My Hero, Joe Louis0 (2004). --Jennifer Mattson Copyright 2005 Booklist
