Twelve Rounds to Glory: The Story of Muhammad Ali

A dynamic author-illustrator team follows the threetime heavyweight champ through twelve rounds of a remarkable life.

"Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. . . . I’m the prettiest thing that ever lived!"

From the moment a fired-up teenager from Kentucky won 1960 Olympic gold to the day in 1996 when a retired legend, hands shaking from Parkinson’s, returned to raise the Olympic torch, the boxer known as "The Greatest" waged many a fight. Some were in the ring, against opponents like Sonny Liston and Joe Frazier; others were against societal prejudice and against a war he refused to support because of his Islamic faith. Charles R. Smith Jr.’s rap-inspired verse weaves and bobs and jabs with relentless energy, while Bryan Collier’s bold collage artwork matches every move — capturing the "Louisville loudmouth with the great gift of rhyme" who shed the name Cassius Clay to take on the world as Muhammad Ali.
Back matter includes a timeline.

Charles R. Smith Jr. is the author of Hoop Queens and its companion, Hoop Kings. He also wrote and illustrated the American Library Association Notable Book Rimshots: Basketball Pix, Rolls, and Rhythms, among other titles. Charles R. Smith Jr. lives in Poughkeepsie, New York.

Bryan Collier is the illustrator of several award-winning books, including Uptown, A Freedom River, Martin's Big Words, and Visiting Langston, all winners of the Coretta Scott King Award (USA). He lives in New York, USA.