Story of Little Black Sambo

Wonderful book for all.

Some people look for anything negative or a reason to holler about racism. Even Huck Finn, a wonderful nonracist story, has received a bum rap. Books were written in the time they are set,and LITTLE BLACK SAMBO is a wonderful story that I've enjoyed since I was a child. I am African American, and I find nothing offensive about this story. READ THIS STORY, ALL PEOPLES, AND ENJOY!!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Proceed with caution

While The Story of Little Black Sambo by Helen Bannerman has proven to be a much loved classic by many readers, you should exercise caution when preparing to read it to young children. The storyline is fairly basic ¿ Little Black Sambo is pursued by tigers in the jungle, and in order to appease them, he gives each of them an article of clothing. Then, the tigers end up fighting with each other, and Little Black Sambo goes home and eats pancakes. The plot seems harmless, but it is the negative undertones of the book that create its controversy. The term `sambo¿ carries the heavy weight of controversy itself; during slavery, it was an extremely negative and derogatory term used for African-American slaves, labeling them as shiftless, lazy, listless, and, quite frankly, dumb. This word has carried its controversy ever since the days of slavery, and it is still considered a very offensive term to use toward African-Americans. Because of this, allowing children to read a book where the main character¿s name is Sambo introduces them to this negative term that should not even be in their vocabulary. Doing so runs the risk of having children deem all African-Americans as `sambo¿ without understanding the term, thus creating racial controversy. In addition, the illustrations in the book do not portray African-Americans in a good light; rather, they portray quite barbaric and primitive characters that perpetuate many racial stereotypes. Overall, I suggest holding off on having children read this book until they are old enough to understand concepts such as slavery, racism, and stereotypes.

1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

Wonderful Story

I really enjoyed reading the full history of this wonderful story of a young boy outwitting the tiger.

My grandmother used to read me this book, then I read it to my children. Mainly because of the wonderful memories of my grandmother reading it to me. My 30 year old son recently asked me about the book. Unfortunatley, I was unable to find it.

I found the book on Barnes and Nobles web-site, called the store and ordered it. It came in incredibly fast and in perfect condition. My son was thrilled to have the book! It brought back many memories of me reading it to him as a child. I would highly recommend Barnes and Noble for extremely helpful service.

Beautiful

I never get tired of reading this book and staring at the detailed and beautifully rendered artwork of Mr. Bing. I am sorry it is not carried at this time. I wanted to order several copies as birthday gifts.

My Favorite

This was my favorite book growing up. I must have made my parents read it to me hundreds of times. I still have my old copy of the book and I read it to my three year old son. He loves it too.

What a Wonderful Book

This is a wonderful book, full of courage and bravery. A perfect read for children. I had forgotten all about this one. My older siblings and I would read this to our baby sister at bedtime. I can almost recite the story verbatim. Full of excitement and adventure.

Book was not written as a racist tome

Those who criticize the book would do well to learn a little history. Bannerman wrote the book for her own little children, never expecting it to be published. She described an imaginary country and imaginary child. Her original illustrations have never been properly reproduced causing them to appear ugly and miscolored. She was in India when the copyright for the book was sold in England without her permission. She was paid the sum of 5 pounds. The book is not and was never intended to be racist. It's simply a delightful story of a child who uses his wits to outwit the tigers and gets his mother to make him 169 pancakes. (Because he was hungry.)

I Love This Book

Little Black Sambo is a small, cute little book and I first read it when I was really young. I checked it out at the library every time that I went there. Then the library told me that their copy was lost or out of print. So I tried to find it at other libraries but I had no luck. It is my favorite book in the whole world.

Impressed with book

I remember my grandmother reading me this book as a child. Reading it now brings back many memories and smiles. Wonderful story. This particular edition has the most beautiful illustrations. You have the feeling that you are reading a very very old book b/c the pages are drawn to be cornered and worn away. There is even the cloth section of the book spine showing (illustration) that makes you think the book is so old that it is falling apart. Very cool.

Give This a Chance

I know this title has very bad connotations, but this version of the tale is truly beautiful. The child in this story is bright and resourceful, with a loving family. He is not a stereotype. The illustrations are gorgeous. Don't be put off by the racist history of this book. It's fine--it's better than fine. Give it a chance.

Little Black Sambo

Was the very first book I borrowed from a public library in 1980.It was a story I have never forgotten and it will always be my favorite.

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