B Is for Boxing

This book is all about boxing! NO! For sure – it is an ABC-book! Com'on, you are all wrong – this is a brilliant comic-book, perfectly written and amazingly designed; for kids and their parents alike!
Well, what is it then?!

There is a small very bright and kind book in front of me. Less than eighty pages – cover included. Everything is just as it must be: foreword, a little bit about the authors. But – and that's very important! - all the pages, from A (Arena) to Z (Zaire), are just small essays. One can read them just for fun – and I must admit, it is highly unusual for a regular alphabet-book. This one is very unusual indeed. Every letter got its own and the only; very accurate definition - as well as great graphical image.

Short, well-written text is supported by amazing illustration – just right for kids to memorize. Here is C – for CHAMPION, for instance. And your kid immediately will get a definition, originated from Romans (frankly – I didn't know it! Thank you, authors!) Next page – a picture. To put this knowledge into its one and only place.

H – for HEAVY BAG. And from there, immediately – to the heavy-weight fighters. Well, woof! Just a short wind came and go (from the next picture).

What one will need – after just another round? I bet, you've got it right: an ice pack. So, here we go: I – healing, relaxing... ICE PACK. All the concussions, black marks... will go away at once – as in our childhood they came and go.

To learn an alphabet with this book is a fun, and a great pleasure indeed. It has no room for boredom, not even once – and what can be more important for a kid! Here, in clear and simple form we are given not only a gift of the letters – but also we are told a great story of boxing. At the end your kid (and you, an adult as well, of course!) will gain a complete understanding of everything connected to the amazing and breathtaking world of boxing - in one way or another.

The goal of this book is, as I may see, is not only to teach small boys and girls how to read – but to make of him or even of her at the very least a great enthusiast of sport – if not a world-class champion of fighting.

This book was written by the Salita brothers – Dimitry and Michael. Not only strong – but also, how it must be with strong men, very kind and hearty men they are. Real men – they know what they are doing. About them – introductions at the and of the book. But they were not alone – Bill Kaplan, world-famous boxing promoter, and publicist; inducted into three boxing Halls of Fame. Bill used to work with such great stars as George Foreman, Oscar de la Hoya, Mohamed Ali - to name but a few. Illustrations were made by wonderful young artist Yelena Stekacheva; and design had been made by Allen Gorokhov.

So, this is it. I close the cover. It's a pity this book was so short. I place it on my shelf. Well... Why I am a grown man already?! It could be just great to learn an alphabet by B IS FOR BOXING!