Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 06/01/2012 Gr 1–3—Jimmy lives in a small village near the sea where the only activity seems to happen at a tiny gym. There, Don Apolinar notices the child, introduces him to books and newspaper clippings about Muhammad Ali, and encourages him to read and box. As Jimmy learns about Ali and becomes stronger through his boxing exercises, he imagines he and his hero are alike, "Handsome and smart..." and his self-esteem begins to grow. The title, in fact, refers to Ali's oft-uttered, "I am the greatest!" When Don Apolinar leaves for the big city, Jimmy realizes that he is satisfied with what he has for now and commits to maintaining the gym and starting a library. Buitrago's spare text is well served by Yockteng's digitally created, stylized cartoons. The muted palette emphasizes the sand and sea, while the carefully composed pictures draw readers' eyes to the important elements of the story and capitalize on its subtle good humor. This gentle tale of self-fulfillment and acceptance will be a winning addition to collections. The Spanish edition, published in 2010, has been nominated for Best Books of the Year by Venezuela's Banco del Libro.—Sharon Grover, Hedberg Public Library, Janesville, WI - Copyright 2012 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Bulletin for the Center... - 07/01/2012 In this picture book from an award-winning Colombian author and illustrator, Jimmy’s been growing up in a one-donkey seaside town in Latin America, where there’s nowhere to go except church and the boxing gym. The gym owner has just realized that Jimmy (who looks initially to be a young teen) is big enough to get in the game, and since there’s not much else to do, Jimmy starts to train. He even puts on his unused glasses to read a box of clippings about Muhammad Ali, and Jimmy recognizes a kindred spirit there: Jimmy’s shoes had been stolen, and Ali’s bike had been stolen; most convincingly, Ali was “handsome and smart like me!” As Jimmy’s interest in boxing grows, so does his confidence and quiet commitment to his town, and when his trainer leaves for a bigger career in bigger places, Jimmy is content to stay. If Sara Varon (Robot Dreams, BCCB 11/07) drew humans, these are the humans she would draw: bug-eyed, amiable, and far too intent on their own insular world to mug self-consciously for a picture-book audience; though Jimmy and most of his fellow gym rats are dark-skinned, characters appear in the full palette of human colors. Comic-book conventions definitely influence Yockteng’s artwork; although the scenes follow a traditional half or full spread format, motion lines and repeated ropes, knife blades, and legs are cleverly used devices to convey action. In a splendid example of the power of showing rather than telling, the final view of Jimmy’s town, with its power lines, extra buildings, increased animal population, and bright blue refrigerator demonstrate visually how Jimmy’s decision to remain to support his community has made everyone’s life a little easier: “We dance and we box and we don’t sit around waiting to go someplace else.” Now that’s something worth thinking about. EB - Copyright 2012 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois.

Booklist - 07/01/2012 *Starred Review* In a poor village on the ocean, young Jimmy’s future is looking bright since the owner of a tiny gym inspired him to run, to read, and to train as a boxer like Muhammad Ali. Even without any shoes, Jimmy discovers that you “don’t need much stuff to run or to get others to follow along.” But, unlike his trainer, who leaves for a life in the big city, Jimmy the Greatest stays in the village, where he grows up to maintain the gym, create a library, and help his people. He does great things, but not by leaving home for the world stage. Translated from the Spanish and first published in Colombia, this title features text that reads like spare poetry and digital, cartoon-style artwork filled with humorous details and stylized, pop-eyed characters. Each page shows the daily struggle in the rough shanty town. Best of all is the image of Jimmy as a boy “reading and shadow-boxing at the same time.” A final spread, showing new wires stretching across the village, is a moving conclusion to this unusual, quietly powerful title. - Copyright 2012 Booklist.

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