WHAT ATHLETES ARE MADE OF

Piven follows up What Presidents Are Made Of (2004) with an equally quirky gallery of athlete portraits made from buttons, gears, plastic miniatures and other found items attached to painted backgrounds. He links his 23 choices, most of whom are still active, or at least living, with the titular theme. Athletes are made of “Flash and Dash” (David Beckham), “Tough Stuff” (Joe Namath), “Big Mouths” (Muhammad Ali), “Funny Habits” (Michael Jordan)—and for he each adds an introductory paragraph and a factoid or two, backed up by further stats or records with thumbnail photos at the end. Though the portraits are too stylized to be recognizable on their own, and several text blocks are semi-legibly printed on dark backgrounds, seeing David Beckham’s face formed by whistles for eyes and a bottle of pink nail polish (which he’s been known to wear) for a nose, or a hot dog standing in for Babe Ruth’s mouth and a funnel for Muhammad Ali’s may draw chuckles from easily amused viewers. (Picture book/nonfiction. 6-8)