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 time line.

With pumping, energetic, rap-inspired wordplay, Charles R. Smith Jr. profiles the distinctive styles of the best players in basketball Tim Duncan cashes in double-digit points by banking it off the backboard. Kevin Garnett makes his new-and-improved moves in 3-D. As for Shaquille O’Neal, just see what it might take to fill his gargantuan shoes (shown actual size). With pumping, energetic, rap-inspired wordplay, Charles R. Smith profiles the distinctive playing styles of twelve of the best male players in basketball. An International Reading Association Children’s Choice A New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age A Cooperative Children’s Book Center Choices List Selection Back matter includes notes on the poems and an author’s note.

With this high-energy collection of poems and dynamic photos celebrating twelve pro ballers, Charles R. Smith Jr. scores another slam dunk. What's your game? Can you fly like Blake Griffin? Are you a lightning-fast force of nature like Russell Westbrook? Or are you a chameleon on the court, racking up nicknames like Steph Curry? From James Harden with his shimmy-shake-spin to "Lord of the Leap, Sir Alley of the Oop" Lebron James, here are a dozen profiles honoring the superb talents and skills of some of the best players in NBA basketball. With bold, graphic photographs and fun, accessible poems infused with his indomitable wordplay, Charles R. Smith Jr. captures the agility and finesse that each of these professionals brings to the game. Poem notes about each featured player offer further inspiration at the end.

"Young basketball fans will have a hard time keeping still. . . . A great choice to energize poetry units." — Booklist Margo Dydek, Ticha Penicheiro, Chamique Holdsclaw . . . these are just three of the twelve women profiled in a dynamic group of poems honoring some of the best female players in professional basketball. With action photographs and kinetic lyrics illustrating each player’s style, Hoop Queens will grab the attention of any kid who loves basketball — and score a slam-dunk with teachers of poetry. An International Reading Association Children’s Choice A New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age A Chicago Public Library Best Book Back matter includes notes on the poems and an author’s note.

Hoop addicts are passionate about their sport of choice - it comes out in their attitude, style and an exclusive language for those who love the game. In Rimshots: Basketball Pix, Rolls, and Rhythms, Charles R. Smith, Jr. pays enthusiastic homage to one of the most popular sports ever with a collection of inspired poems, personal reflections, adrenaline-pumped stories and dazzling photos. Full of vivid energy and the kind of exciting rhythm that expresses the game itself, this anthology will appeal to young fans of basketball who eat, sleep and dream hoop.  

The Coretta Scott King Award–winning creator of Hoop Kings celebrates the skill and talent of top female soccer professionals—and pays homage to the legendary US World Cup team of 1999. Soccer, fútbol, call it what you will—the sport commands worldwide attention, and Charles R. Smith Jr. pays tribute to the sport’s greatest US athletes in poems that hum with energy and life. Whether the subject is an escape artist like Rose Lavelle, a rocket like Megan Rapinoe, or the exploits of the legendary ’99ers, who kicked their names into history, this celebration of the finesse and ferocity of players from the Women's National Soccer League excels with dynamic rhyme and bold, graphic photo-illustration. Featuring current and past stars as well as emerging players—in cleats that “churn and burn and fly”—the twelve poems in this rapid-fire collection will inspire young poets and sports fans alike to find their game and be their best.