Jimmy the Greatest!

Jimmy lives in a small town by the sea where there is just one tiny gym. The owner of the gym suggests that Jimmy start training, and to inspire him, he gives Jimmy a box full of books, as well as newspaper clippings about Muhammad Ali - "The Greatest." Jimmy is swept with admiration for Ali. He begins to read and run and box like crazy, even though someone at the gym has taken his shoes. And as he does so, he makes a great discovery: you don't have to leave home to be "the greatest."Unlike many stories about emigration, Jairo Buitrago's simple, profound text is about someone who decides to stay in his small remote town in Latin America. Combined with Rafael Yockteng's humorous illustrations, this book will be especially appealing to boys and boxing aficionados.The Spanish edition, Jimmy, el más grande!, was recently nominated for one of "Los mejores libros del año" (Best Books of the Year) by Venezuela's Banco del Libro.

Jairo Buitrago is a children’s book author who has collaborated with Rafael Yockteng on several picture books, and together they won the “A la Orilla del Viento” contest (Mexico). Buitrago has also been named to IBBY’s Honor List. Rafael Yockteng was born in Peru, but has lived in Colombia for most of his life. He has illustrated many highly acclaimed children’s books, including Sopa de frijoles / Bean Soup by Jorge Argueta (USBBY Outstanding International Books Honor List) and Mandaderos de la lluvia / Messengers of Rain, a bilingual anthology of Latin American poetry selected by Claudia M. Lee. He also won (with Jairo Buitrago) the “A la Orilla del Viento” contest, organized by Fondo de Cultura Econo´mica de Me´xico.