Ten athletes presented in this 11 1/2" by 8 1/2" volume are introduced briefly, then quoted and finally pictured through a chapter laced with dialogue. The athletes are Satchel Paige (baseball player), Julie Krone (jockey), "Pelé" (soccer player), Joan Benoit Samuelson (runner), Nate Archibald (basketball player), Susan Butcher (dogsled racer), Muhammad Ali (boxer), Billie Jean King (tennis player), Diana Golder (skier) and Roberto Clemente (baseball player). A two-page forward by Frank Deford suggests why this collection of material about sports figures stands out midst other books about sports celebrities, most of which are written to meet a formula of immediacy and success straight from daily sports news. Deford points out that "even the greatest champions continue to triumph in tandem with failure. Champions may be larger than life, but they are never above life." Fuchs' paintings of the athletes are each reproduced on a full page in full color, contributing another unique dimension to an absorbing book. (Ages 7-12)

A collection of sports profiles exploring athletes who have made extraordinary achievements, grown beyond their successes, and given something back to their sports.