Strong Man

June 11, 2007
McCarthy (Aliens Are Coming!
) mines history in this profile of bodybuilder Charles Atlas. As a boy, Italian-born Angelo Siciliano arrives in a Brooklyn neighborhood of “Irish, Jewish, Polish, and Italian immigrants. Life on the streets was tough
” for the puny lad. McCarthy pictures the quintessential moment when the “98 pound weakling” gets sand kicked in his face on the beach at Coney Island, although her onomatopoeic “Splat!” fails to convey sand's grit and the teasing bully in his Chaplin-era two-piece swimsuit is none too scary. Slender Angelo takes to admiring Greek heroes; inspired by watching a zoo's muscular lion, he develops his own fitness regimen. Before long, a friend compares him to an Atlas statue, bestowing “a new name for a new body!” McCarthy's acrylic portraits of Atlas emphasize big soulful eyes, a happy grin and ballooning muscles; a closing “Try It Yourself!” section recommends exercises for interested readers. Much is made of Atlas's being named “The World's Most Perfectly Developed Man,” yet given his notable transformation, McCarthy's cartoonish portrayal hardly seems to do his accomplishments justice. Additionally the paintings of physical activity have a listless, static quality; the immobile characters barely appear to exert themselves. But the story of how Atlas inspired millions worldwide to live healthier lives is captivating in itself—eager readers can find additional historical details in a comprehensive endnote. Ages 5-8.

Starred review from July 1, 2007
Gr 1-5-An entertaining introduction to a fitness guru and entrepreneur. Beginning with young Angelo Siciliano's arrival at Ellis Island, the book describes the scrawny Italian immigrant's boyhood in a rough Brooklyn neighborhood and-when he was older-the storied seaside encounter with a sand-kicking bully (witnessed by his date). Humiliated and determined to change his life, the young man decided to change his body. While at the zoo, he watched a lion stretch and noticed its muscles rippling beneath its skin. "Eureka!" He devised and followed an exercise routine that pitted one muscle against another, gradually becoming "Strong as an ox!" The rest of the book covers his new name (for his resemblance to a statue of Atlas), his success as a sideshow strongman and bodybuilder, his famed fitness course, and his emphasis on healthy living. An author's note makes it clear that Atlas's story has been much mythologized and that little is known about his private life. McCarthy cleverly makes the most of this, smoothly weaving facts, quotes, and dialogue balloons into a comic-book-like narrative that perfectly suits its subject. Similarly, the acrylic illustrations feature cartoon characters and appropriately over-the-top humor. One scene shows the skinny youth locked in a staring contest with a muscle-bound statue of Hercules, while another shows the pumped-up Atlas, goggle eyes bulging, straining to pull a train. This colorful book captures both the essence and mystique of an American icon."Joy Fleishhacker, School Library Journal"

Copyright 2007 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from June 1, 2007
In this winning picture-book biography, author and illustrator McCarthy (Aliens Are Coming, 2006) tells the story of Charles Atlas, the original 98-pound weakling who transformed himself into The Worlds Most Perfectly Developed Man and moved generations to embrace fitness. The smoothly paced, concise text follows Atlas from his boyhood arrival on Ellis Island to the abuse he suffered as a skinny kid in his Brooklyn neighborhood. After finding inspiration in classical statues of muscled gods and in the animal world (a lions stretch is a eureka moment), Atlas developed his Dynamic Tension fitness program and became a world-famous strong man. The acrylic paintings nicely reinforce the meaning in the words on each page, and the artworks cartoonish stylebug-eyed, thickly outlined characters and rich, flat colorsechoes Atlas larger-than-life, superhero persona. Particularly touching are the re-creations, in words and pictures, of letters sent from young fans whose lives were changed by Atlas program. Atlas tall-tale biography is a difficult story to tell accurately, and McCarthys lengthy authors note acknowledges the challenges she encountered as she separated fact from fiction. A bibliography and an illustrated spread featuring examples from Atlas exercise regimen conclude this cheerful introduction to a cultural legend whose messages about self-respect and healthy choices are just as timely today as they were 50 years ago.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2007, American Library Association.)