Helen Bannerman - The story of Little Black Sambo and the story of Little Black Mingo

LITTLE
BLACK
SAMBO

BY

HELEN BANNERMAN

ILLUSTRATED
BY

FLORENCE WHITE WILLIAMS

Thebook has a controversial history. The original illustrations by Bannermanshowed a caricatured Southern Indian or Tamil child. The story may havecontributed to the use of the word "sambo" as a racial slur. The book'ssuccess led to many pirated, inexpensive, widely available versions thatincorporated popular stereotypes of "black" peoples. In 1932 LangstonHughes criticised Little Black Sambo as a typical "pickaninny"storybook which was hurtful to black children, and gradually the bookdisappeared from lists of recommended stories for children.

In1942, Saalfield Publishing Company releaseda version of Little Black Sambo illustrated by Ethel Hays.During the mid 20th century, however, some American editions of the story,including a 1950 audio version on PeterPan Records, changed the title to the racially neutral Brave LittleSambo.

Thebook has been controversial in Japan as well, both for racism and piracy. Little Black Sambo ( , Chibikuro Sambo ? )was first published in Japan by Iwanami Shoten Publishing in 1953. Thebook was a pirated version of the original, and it contained drawings by FrankDobias that had appeared in a US edition published by Macmillan Publishers in 1927. Sambo wasillustrated as an African boy rather than as an Indian boy. Although it did notcontain Bannerman's original illustrations, the pirated book was long mistakenfor the original version in Japan. It sold over 1,000,000 copies before it waspulled off the shelves in 1988 after being accused of depicting racistcharacterisations. Just after Iwanami's success, most of the Japanesepublishers, including Kodansha and Shogakukan,the two largest publishers in Japan, published their versions of pirated LittleBlack Sambo. In 1988, all these publishers followed Iwanami and withdrewtheir books from the market altogether.

nce upon a time therewas a little black boy, and his name was Little Black Sambo.

And
his
mother
was
called
Black
Mumbo.

nd his father wascalled Black Jumbo.

And Black Mumbo made him a beautiful little Red Coat, and a pair ofbeautiful little Blue Trousers.

And Black Jumbo went to the Bazaar and bought him a beautiful Green Umbrellaand a lovely little Pair of Purple Shoes with Crimson Soles and CrimsonLinings.

And then wasn't Little Black Sambo grand?

o he put on all hisFine Clothes and went out for a walk in the Jungle.

And by and by he met a Tiger. And the Tiger said to him, "Little BlackSambo, I'm going to eat you up!"

And Little Black Sambo said, "Oh! Please, Mr. Tiger, don't eat me up,and I'll give you my beautiful little Red Coat."

So the Tiger said, "Very well, I won't eat you this time, but you mustgive me your beautiful little Red Coat." So the Tiger got poor LittleBlack Sambo's beautiful little Red Coat, and went away saying,

ow I'm the grandestTiger in the Jungle."

And Little Black Sambo went on, and by and by he met another Tiger, and itsaid to him, "Little Black Sambo, I'm going to eat you up!"

And Little Black Sambo said, "Oh! Please, Mr. Tiger, don't eat me up,and I'll give you my beautiful little Blue Trousers."

o the Tiger said,"Very well, I won't eat you this time, but you must give me your beautifullittle Blue Trousers." So the Tiger got poor Little Black Sambo'sbeautiful little Blue Trousers, and went away saying, "Now I'm thegrandest Tiger in the Jungle."

nd Little Black Sambowent on and by and by he met another Tiger, and it said to him, "LittleBlack Sambo, I'm going to eat you up!" And Little Black Sambo said,"Oh! Please, Mr. Tiger, don't eat me up, and I'll give you my beautifullittle Purple Shoes with Crimson Soles and Crimson Linings."

But the Tiger said, "What use would your shoes be to me? I've got fourfeet and you've got only two."

"You haven't got enough shoes for me." But Little Black Sambosaid, "You could wear them on your ears."

o I could," saidthe Tiger, "that's a very good idea. Give them to me, and I won't eat youthis time."

So the Tiger got poor Little Black Sambo's beautiful little Purple Shoeswith Crimson Soles and Crimson Linings, and went away saying, "Now I'm thegrandest Tiger in the Jungle."