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Helen Bannerman
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The Story of Little Black Sambo: Color Facsimile of First American Illustrated Edition Paperback – June 15, 2017

by Helen Bannerman (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 1,335 ratings
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2017 Reprint of 1923 Edition. Full facsimile of the original edition, not reproduced with Optical Recognition software. Illustrated with 27 Color Drawings. Sambo is a South Indian boy who lives with his father and mother, named Black Jumbo and Black Mumbo, respectively. While out walking, Sambo encounters four hungry tigers, and surrenders his colorful new clothes, shoes, and umbrella so they will not eat him. The tigers are vain and each thinks he is better dressed than the others. They chase each other around a tree until they are reduced to a pool of ghee (clarified butter). Sambo then recovers his clothes and collects the ghee, which his mother uses to make pancakes. Despite controversy concerning the racism of illustrations of other contemporary editions, we reprint the original American Edition of 1923 by The Stokes Company. The illustrations therein are more of the type done to illustration contemporary children’s books, like Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book, [1894] and which do not reflect the patent racism of other editions of Little Black Sambo; editions that clearly pandered to racist sentiment at the time.

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  1. Reading age
    2 - 11 years, from customers
  2. Print length
    62 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Dimensions
    6 x 0.17 x 9 inches
  5. Publisher
    Martino Fine Books
  6. Publication date
    June 15, 2017
  7. ISBN-10
    168422120X
  8. ISBN-13
    978-1684221202
  9. See all details
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Martino Fine Books; Illustrated edition (June 15, 2017)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 62 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 168422120X
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1684221202
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 2 - 11 years, from customers
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 4.3 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.17 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 1,335 ratings

About the author

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Helen Bannerman

Helen Bannerman

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Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
1,335 global ratings
Not politically incorrect!
5 Stars
Not politically incorrect!
One of my favorite picture books of my childhood.A delightful mix of bravery, bullies getting what they deserve, and funky cat pictures.Highly recommend.
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Top reviews from the United States

Savvy Shopper
5.0 out of 5 stars Memories.
Reviewed in the United States on October 30, 2021
Verified Purchase
This is NOT a politically correct book at all and I won’t read it to my grandchildren. BUT long ago when I was a kid , I loved it and my mom read it to me a hundred times. When I got older she got me a poodle. He was black so I named him sambo. Never would happen in todays world but the book brought me back many childhood empties so I wanted a copy of it. It is a good story. And it’s got morals but it’s totally , in my opinion kind of predijuice. I am happy to have a copy though for my memories with mom.
6 people found this helpful
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Pam H
5.0 out of 5 stars The pictures are just like I remember from childhood.
Reviewed in the United States on November 5, 2023
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Nicely made. Good quality paper used in the book. Arrived quickly.
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UrsFL
5.0 out of 5 stars Get it before it is removed from publication.
Reviewed in the United States on September 16, 2023
Verified Purchase
We read this in my one room schoolhouse. Grades 1,2, and 3. Well done.
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WAG
5.0 out of 5 stars Not politically incorrect!
Reviewed in the United States on July 24, 2023
Verified Purchase
One of my favorite picture books of my childhood.
A delightful mix of bravery, bullies getting what they deserve, and funky cat pictures.
Highly recommend.
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WAG
5.0 out of 5 stars Not politically incorrect!
Reviewed in the United States on July 24, 2023
One of my favorite picture books of my childhood.
A delightful mix of bravery, bullies getting what they deserve, and funky cat pictures.
Highly recommend.
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One person found this helpful
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Corinne Villarreal
4.0 out of 5 stars Hard to find book.
Reviewed in the United States on March 25, 2021
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Hard to find book, but there were a few to choose from. Pictures were not as good as the one I had when I was young.
One person found this helpful
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Curious Frog
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful. True to original.
Reviewed in the United States on April 21, 2023
Verified Purchase
This is a lovely book and is true to the original in both word/line spacing and graphics. Beautiful!
What a treasure. What child did not cherish this book?
3 people found this helpful
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Carl23
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book for children
Reviewed in the United States on August 22, 2023
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The book reflects the fantasy of its time.
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Tori T.
3.0 out of 5 stars Not gently used
Reviewed in the United States on April 13, 2024
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The back of the cover came torn and stained with an oily substance
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Top reviews from other countries

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Wulfy
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Kid's Book - NOT Politically Incorrect
Reviewed in Canada on June 21, 2018
Verified Purchase
As a little kid, I'd go to the library with my Mom and, I'd always want to take this book home if someone else didn't have it already. Finally, the library bowed to PC pressure and removed it from the shelf. There was absolutely nothing racist about this book and it's a great book for children. My fave as a young child … along with Curious George, Amelia Bedelia, and Jack & The Beanstalk.
2 people found this helpful
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D.E.P.
5.0 out of 5 stars The Story of Little Black Sambo : Color Facsimile of First American Illustrated Edition
Reviewed in France on January 19, 2018
Verified Purchase
Il s'agit de la reproduction exacte mais légèrement grossie (texte et illustrations naïves 7,6 x 10,6 cm en couleurs) d'une première édition de Philadelphie dans les années 1920, (illustrations 6,4 x 8,8 cm) qui a fait la joie de mes enfants puis petits-enfants quand je la leur lisais en traduisant, une contine qu'ils savent encore par coeur. L'histoire est complète depuis la présentation des parents Sambo jusqu'à la dégustation des 169 crêpes frites au beurre des tigres fondus pour avoir tourné trop vite autour du palmier. Seule la préface de l'édition originelle sur la dame auteure de l'histoire en Inde ne figure pas dans cette récente édition.
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sally tarbox
5.0 out of 5 stars brilliant story!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 28, 2011
Verified Purchase
Sambo's devoted parents get him a new outfit (love Bannerman's use of capital letters throughout for these items; a Lovely Little Pair of Purple Shoes with Crimson Soles and Crimson Linings). But as the boy goes walking, he's met by a succession of tigers who have to be placated by a garment each. The one who gets the shoes complains he needs 4 but Sambo says 'you could wear them on your ears' (wonderful picture here!) Sambo is upset at the loss of the clothes but then he sees the tigers arguing over which is the grandest, chasing each other round the tree till there's nothing left but a pool of melted butter ('or ghi as it is called in India') with which his mother makes pancakes ('they were just as yellow and brown as little tigers') of which Sambo ate a Hundred and Sixty Nine because he was so hungry. Lovely little story. I do hear what critics say when they object to the word 'black' appearing in the characters' names- when i read it to my kids years ago i just omitted the 'little black' and referred to the protagonists as Mumbo, Jumbo and Sambo
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sally tarbox
5.0 out of 5 stars brilliant story!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 28, 2011
Sambo's devoted parents get him a new outfit (love Bannerman's use of capital letters throughout for these items; a Lovely Little Pair of Purple Shoes with Crimson Soles and Crimson Linings). But as the boy goes walking, he's met by a succession of tigers who have to be placated by a garment each. The one who gets the shoes complains he needs 4 but Sambo says 'you could wear them on your ears' (wonderful picture here!) Sambo is upset at the loss of the clothes but then he sees the tigers arguing over which is the grandest, chasing each other round the tree till there's nothing left but a pool of melted butter ('or ghi as it is called in India') with which his mother makes pancakes ('they were just as yellow and brown as little tigers') of which Sambo ate a Hundred and Sixty Nine because he was so hungry. Lovely little story. I do hear what critics say when they object to the word 'black' appearing in the characters' names- when i read it to my kids years ago i just omitted the 'little black' and referred to the protagonists as Mumbo, Jumbo and Sambo
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7 people found this helpful
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Amie Mouneimne
5.0 out of 5 stars Big hit with my children
Reviewed in France on November 19, 2011
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I know this book is not exactly "PC" (politically correct) for 2011.
However, my mother loved this book as a child and she read
it to my children this past summer. They adored it. So, I bought it recently and my little
girls love it so much. It's a big hit.
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gotail pamela
4.0 out of 5 stars Little Black Sambo
Reviewed in France on May 27, 2013
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Little Black Sambo adorable takes me back to when I was a little girl and a story I told my kiddies just before going to bed, was so pleased to find the book to show it to them Many happy memories.
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