What Athletes Are Made Of [Hardcover]

Hanoch Piven (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Have you ever wondered what it takes to make a legandary sports star? Talent? Determination? Teamwork? You're right, but it takes more than that. Using everyday items like toy airplanes, Coke bottles, and pencil sharpeners, and with fun and fascinating tales of each player's life -- on and off the field -- Hanoch Piven shows us what our favorite pro-athletes of the past and present are really made of.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-6–Twenty-three competitors, ranging from the celebrated (Muhammad Ali, Michael Jordan, Joe DiMaggio) to the less familiar (Diego Maradona, Michael Schumacher, Annika Sorenstam) are presented on colorful spreads. Each one is introduced with a phrase that reflects the book's title and highlights a defining characteristic (e.g., for Wayne Gretzky, Athletes are made of brains over brawn). A lively paragraph offers a cursory look at a personal event or anecdote that emphasizes that particular trait, describing both accomplishments and foibles. Gouache collage portraits are decorated with items that cleverly reflect each individual's profession and personality. For instance, Babe Ruth (Athletes are made of a hunger for greatness) has Coke-bottle eyebrows, baseball gloves and balls for eyes, a large steak for a nose, and a hot dog with bun for a mouth. Surprisingly, these pictures actually do look like the subjects. Brief biographical facts about each athlete and a small photo are appended. While not a first purchase, this title is fun to browse. It could also inspire students to create self-portraits using items that expose their personalities, likes, and strengths, or to make a similar book about their favorite people. Make sure the art staff sees this one.–Kate Kohlbeck, Randall School, Waukesha, WI
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Gr. 2-4. Twenty-three sports figures, most of whom are still competing, are featured in this picture book for older children. Each athlete is presented in a full- or double-page illustration rendered in gouache and collage, accompanied by anecdotal information. The facial features of most of the athletes are depicted with items that relate to their sport or personal lives. Jesse Owens' eye is a bullet, which conveys his speed and shows that "athletes are made of get up and go." Tiger Woods holds a baby bottle, which demonstrates that "athletes are made of early starts." Martina Navratilova wears a Statue of Liberty crown to show that "athletes are made of free spirits." There is just enough information to appeal to sports fans (statistics and career highlights are given at the end in the "Post-Game Recap"), and the quirky, sometimes bordering on grotesque depictions of the athletes (Lance Armstrong looks like Frankenstein) will appeal to the visually inclined. Randall Enos
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers (May 9, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416910026
• ISBN-13: 978-1416910022
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 8.9 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #653,022 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

The colorful and witty illustrations of Israeli illustrator Hanoch Piven have appeared throughout the last 18 years on both sides of the Atlantic: in most major American magazines and newspapers such as Time, Newsweek, Rolling Stone and in many European publications from The London Times to the Swiss Die WeltWoche

Piven's work is in the permanent collection of The Prints and Photographs Division of The Library of Congress in Washington DC where he presented his award-winning book: "What Presidents Are Made of". Time Magazine chose "What Presidents Are Made of" as one of the best 10 children books of 2004.

Piven has published 6 other children books in the USA, most recently "My Best Friend is as Sharp as a Pencil" published by Random House's imprint Schwartz and Wade in March 2010.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fun facts and higher level thinking, January 14, 2007

By 

Camille "at the BookMoot!" (Texas) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: What Athletes Are Made Of (Hardcover)

This book shares "fun facts" about 23 sports personalities. The portraits of each athlete in this collection are created with a collage of toys, objects and illustration. Piven's book is equal parts biography and "I Spy" fun.

Using an odd assortment of objects, he accurately captures each athlete's appearance and comments on their personality and abilities. David Beckham is captured with gold glitz hair, referee whistle eyes and a bottle of pink nail polish for a nose. The amazing assembly looks just like him. Interesting facts about the sports figures are included in the paragraph on the page and a "Did you know" fact crawl across the bottom.

Jackie Joyner-Kersee, of long jump fame, is created with hinged measuring sticks for arms and legs and "leap frog" toys as her feet. Joe DiMaggio is featured as a baseball card, his eyelids are Marilyn Monroe coin keepers and his eyes are a rose bud. Baseball bats are his eyebrows and his mouth is a classic Greek column (class act, DiMaggio.)

Baseball, football, soccer, Olympic champions, Formula I, Nascar, and golf are all represented. One of my favorite portraits is Lance Armstrong, His nose is a bicycle seat, bike gears at the top of his head show the mental workout of the Tour de France (a souvineer Tour Eiffel in the background) and a bike chain mirrors the lines on his forehead. His mouth is a "Live Strong" bracelet.

Words do not do the book justice. I can imagine showing this book to a class with an Elmo so they can all see the detail in each portrait. Educators are always looking for material to engage higher level thinking, right? Well, here you go.