Muhammad Ali Was a Chicken?

by Dan Gutman, Allison Steinfeld (Illustrator)

Overview

From the best-selling author behind My Weird School: a quirky new biography series that casts fresh light on high-interest historic figures.

Did you know that Muhammad Ali was so terrified of flying on planes he would bring a parachute? Or that he won the Presidential Medal of Freedom? Bet you didn’t know that he had an official sweat-taster to determine how salty his sweat was after each match! Siblings Paige and Turner do—and they’ve collected some of the most unusual and surprising facts about the legendary boxer and civil rights activist, from his childhood and the spark of his boxing career through his time as heavyweight champion of the world.

Narrated by the two spirited siblings and animated by Allison Steinfeld’s upbeat illustrations, Muhammad Ali Was a Chicken! is an authoritative, accessible, and one-of-a-kind biography infused with Dan Gutman’s signature zany sense of humor.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781324017066
Publisher:	Norton Young Readers
Publication date:	05/04/2021
Series:	Wait! What?
Pages:	112
Sales rank:	244,577
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.30(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	7 - 10 Years

About the Author

Dan Gutman is the New York Times best-selling author of the My Weird School series. He lives in New York City with his wife.

Allison Steinfeld is an Atlanta-based illustrator who received her BFA from the School of Visual Arts.

Table of Contents

Introduction: That's True, But … 1

Chapter 1 Stuff Your Teacher Wants You to Know About Muhammad Ali … 7

Chapter 2 Childhood 10

Chapter 3 The Beginning 19

Chapter 4 Selling Tickets 30

Chapter 5 The Greatest 38

Chapter 6 Controversy 45

Chapter 7 Lost Years 53

Chapter 8 Comeback 58

Chapter 9 The Other Side of Ali 71

Chapter 10 Decline 82

Chapter 11 From Hated to Hero 89

Chapter 12 Oh Yeah? (Stuff About Ali That Didn't Fit Anywhere Else) 98

To Find Out More … 103

Acknowledgments 105

Editorial Reviews

08/23/2021

In an introduction and 12 chapters, Gutman brings his signature humor to this narrative nonfiction biography of Muhammad Ali, “one of the most important sports figures in history.” Organized as a play-like dialogue between siblings Paige and Turner, both cued as Black, the accessible profile explores the titular question and covers Ali’s origins and career; it’s also packed with plenty of quotes from the boxer and reactions from the narrators (“Of course, dreams won’t make you the champion of anything. You’ve got to work”). Steinfeld contributes fine-lined, dot-eyed b&w illustrations, punctuated by speech bubbles, as well as attractive infographics such as “18 Famous People Who Changed Their Names.” This well-designed series starter will keep the attention of both fans of Ali and those who are new to nonfiction. Ages 6–8. (May)

Publishers Weekly

"Combining Gutman’s ongoing interest in biography with his talent for humor, this engaging new series for young readers is a winner."

Booklist (starred review)