In 1899, Helen Bannerman, a Scot living in India with her doctor husband, wrote and illustrated a little story for her daughters who were attending school in Scotland. This tale, "Little Black Sambo," delighted the girls but has become the most controversial children's book in existence.
Beginning in the 1930s, censorship of "Little Black Sambo" became rampant; many booksellers refused to stock it and schools depleted their shelves, if they had it there it all. The protests stemmed from the treatment of the characters who were identified as blacks in an African setting.In reality, the story Bannerman wrote was not set in Africa but in India, using tigers as antagonists to the little boy whose clothes they wear. Bannerman intended the setting to be fanciful and not to be taken literally.
Also under censor were the names Bannerman gave her characters (Sambo, Black Mumbo and Black Jumbo) and the stereotypic illustrations, exaggerated minstrel-looking faces, protruding red lips, dark skin and eyes surrounded by stark white.
In 1970, the Bannerman estate lost control of the copyright of "Little Black Sambo" and within a few years many new editions were published. It is interesting to note that over 50 variations of this tale have been printed since the original in 1899. HarperCollins alone sells over 20,000 of the small-sized Bannerman text and art that was first published by J.P. Lippincott.
Now, almost a century after the Bannerman tale was written, two editions by leading artists have been printed simultaneously. And what completely different approaches they take!
SAM AND THE TIGERS by Julius Lester, pictures by Jerry Pinkney (Dial) is a more contemporary adaptation with stunning pencil and watercolor drawings across two-page spreads. This version reads like the tale that it was meant to be.
In a town called Sam-Sam-Sa-Mara, all people, who live compatibly with animals, are called Sam. When Sam is taken to pick out clothes for school, his parents, Sam and Sam, are amazed at his selection: a coat as red as a happy heart; pants that are purple as love that would last forever; a shirt as yellow as tomorrow; shoes with silver that shine like promises that are always kept and an umbrella that is as green as a satisfied mind.
In the cumulative story, the tigers each take away Sam's clothes, leaving him in his underwear and unable to go to school. The tigers fight out the problem of who is the finest, leave the clothes to Sam and become a puddle of butter as golden as a dream come true.
I adore the language and flow of the repetition. Each tiger threatens to eat Sam, and his small protest of " . . . it'll send your cholesterol way up" isn'tenough to forestall the contest to retain the clothing. Another clever twist is when the last tiger that approaches Sam doesn't suggest that "I'll eat you up" but in a cavalier manner says, "You know the routine."
This is a wonderful collaboration between an award-winning author and artist. And the story of their interest in this tale is amazing. Jerry Pinkney says, "I discovered there were as many as 50 versions of the book, and I struggled to find my own approach to right the wrongs of the original and several subsequent versions. Meanwhile, Julius Lester, who was researching the story, heard of my interest through the Internet. He contacted me about collaborating . . . " The rest is history and an appealing version of a tale that will satisfy the readers and lovers of this old story.
The second new version, THE STORY OF LITTLE BABAJI, illustrated by Fred Marcellino (HarperCollins), uses the Bannerman text except for the Indian names, Little Babaji, Mamaji and Papaji. Also, the artist retains the small trim-sized format and the simple one-line and one-page illustrations that more closely resemble the original.
"Other than the crude drawings and names, there was nothing wrong with it," says Marcellino. But then he is not black, nor did the idea of "political correctness" sway his intent to proceed to retell the story with new sensitive and detailed paintings.
Marcellino's rendition portrays an Indian family with humor and simplicity. He accepted the Bannerman setting and "once I thought of the family, Babaji and Mamaji seemed natural, since `ji' added onto a name is affectionate and respectful."
I suspect that these two versions of "Little Black Sambo" will not allay the censorship that has surrounded this touchstone in children's literature for so many years. It is likely that the debate might even resurface. But what is exciting is that there are two new interpretations by different artists that bring a new slant on a old tale. People will note their "favorite," some may even want to retain the original, but at least the story is here to stay. And hurray for that!
Marilou Sorensen is professor emerita of education at the University of Utah.