Float like a butterfly, read like a bee*
The Associated Press has a story about a new series of childrens’ books, aimed primarily at boys, that will bear the imprint of Muhammad Ali.
Muhammad Ali Presents Go the Distance features books that champion Ali’s values and are aimed at socially disadvantaged students in grades 3-8 who believe neither reading nor education is relevant to their lives, says Lonnie Ali, the boxing legend’s wife.
Some of the titles in the collection include: Stealing Home: The Story of Jackie Robinson, about the legendary athlete who broke baseball’s colour barrier; Hunterman and the Crocodile, a folk tale from west Africa; and Touching Spirit Bear, a story of a young boy’s journey from self-destructive anger to forgiveness. The collection also includes The Champ: The Story of Muhammad Ali.
Mediabistro’s Galley Cat takes the opportunity to remember another child-themed project Ali was involved in — Ali and His Gang vs. Tooth Decay, a record put out in 1976 to warn kids of the evils of sweets. (Ali’s gang, by the way, included Frank Sinatra and Howard Cosell.) The front and back covers of that album, which Galley Cat links to, really are campy wonders to behold.
(* Yes, we know that title’s a little obvious. As Muhammad Ali quotes go, Quillblog has always preferred this one: “If you even dream of beating me, you’d better wake up and apologize.”)
Related links:
Read the AP story in The Globe and Mail
Read the Galley Cat post on the Ali series
