Joe Louis: America's Fighter

Kirkus Reviews

"Another perfect marriage of words and pictures from an award-winning team"

Children's Literature

Writer David Adler and illustrator Terry Widener collaborate for the third time in this title. Joe's early years of poverty teach him to fight for what he wants in life. When he discovers boxing at seventeen, he feels "power pumping through him" and he knows he has found his way. Louis goes on to become the "punching machine" called the "Brown Bomber" who cheers African Americans during the depression until his retirement in 1949, undefeated as a world champion. Emotions are well described and the book's setting well defined by both illustration and words, giving both a sense of era and the man. 2005, Harcourt, Ages 7 to 10.
—Susie Wilde

School Library Journal

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 Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

Adler and Widener offer a straightforward, beautifully illustrated biography of the legendary boxer. The grandson of slaves, Joe Louis Barrow moved from his native Alabama to Detroit with his large family at the age of 12. A visit to Brewster's Gym kindles his dream of becoming a professional fighter. (He loses the "Barrow" because his name's too long for an entry form.) After being knocked down seven times in his first amateur fight, Louis trains even harder, scoring a first-round knockout in his professional debut and earning the nickname "Brown Bomber." The story covers his rise to the top during the Great Depression, including his victory over a white boxer; his dramatic bouts with German champion Max Schmeling; and his decision to join the Army. Another perfect marriage of words and pictures from an award-winning team, simple direct prose presents the facts while powerful paintings evoke both the greatness of the man and the glory of his achievements. Backmatter includes additional interesting facts about Louis's life and the author's sources. (Picture book/nonfiction. 6-9)