Little Black Sambo Story Book

Rating:
Summary: astonishingly racist.. maybe that's what makes it of value
Review: .. i had this book as a small child, too, and i absolutely loved it; but even at the time i knew that it was astonishingly racist. my mother made that quite clear to me at the time and i think that even very small children understand when they're presented with things that are "questionable" and are told why such things may be hurtful to others. to me, it was a story about a little boy that i wished i could go on an adventure with. but i also understood that it should be considered backward in many ways, outdated in its thinking and portrayals, unashamedly racist and inappropriate to imitate. if i had not understood those things, the book would not have remained in the house. i don't know if such things still have instructional value or cultural value or historical value; but anyone who thinks that this book is not racist is kidding themselves. it is racist and there is no way for it not to be.

Rating:
Summary: Sensitivity is needed all around
Review: As a person of African descent who was born in England, I read about Little Black Sambo when I was a child. I liked the book and I didn't feel insulted because the book was about a little Indian boy and I wasn't Indian. Besides, Sambo was smart and won in the end so I thought he was pretty cool. Besides, at that time in England, everybody who wasn't white with dark skin was black. However, when I got older, moved to North America and learned about how the story had been twisted, distorted and used to humiliate and degrade people of African descent, my feelings changed. I still remember the book fondly, but I would have a hard time giving it to a child in this day and age. The problem isn't the story, the problem is in how the story has been used. Those people who defend the book and dismiss the feelings of those who are offended by it are the ones who do the book a diservice, in my opinion. As a non-Jew, anti-semitism doesn't affect me personally, but I completely respect and understand the feelings of those that it does. I think the author intended to increase understanding and respect. Those people who use her work to riddicule and trample over the feelings of others destroy her legacy more than any ban ever could.

Rating:
Summary: Really Good. A Classic!
Review: I don't undestand why this book would be considered rascist. Some say the pictures are the reason. If no one were to tell me, I would have never known. If some people think this is a story that relates to the author's rascism, then that is their small-minded problem.

If you like 'Sambo', then you'll like Why the Sun and the Moon Live in the Sky. ( From what I've read of it, Julius Lester's version has no substancee)

Rating:
Summary: Really Good. A Classic!
Review: I don't undestand why this book would be considered rascist. Some say the pictures are the reason. If no one were to tell me, I would have never known. If some people think this is a story that relates to the author's rascism, then that is their small-minded problem.

If you like 'Sambo', then you'll like Why the Sun and the Moon Live in the Sky. ( From what I've read of it, Julius Lester's version has no substancee)

Rating:
Summary: My fondest childhood book.
Review: It saddens me to not have this book available to little children as it was to me. I never thought of it as a prejudice statement. I was not brought up to thing that way. Just that everyone has there own way of living and differences. I loved that book and wish I had my original. I can still picture it.

Rating:
Summary: Little Black Sambo
Review: My grandma read it to me several times when we were children and when I was a new mom I purchased one for my children. I am not racist and feel that anyone interpreting this story that way has a slanted look at life. This story is about a little boy who fools these tigers and in the end is able to purchas a wonderful new outfit that he loves.

Rating:
Summary: NOT RACIST, JUST HISTORICAL
Review: My grandmother, who was a school teacher, had this book and I remember reading it time and time again at her house. I loved it. I have her copy and I bought one of my own. I still, at age 37, love the book and read it to my children. It is not racist. It is a classic. I see nothing harmful in this book. My children are 3 and 4 and they love it also. If you look at the time the book was written and the story behind why it was written, I think you will absolutely love this classic. I think of my grandmother everytime I read it to my children.

Rating:
Summary: The best book ever!
Review: This was my favorite book as a child. I thought that the book was out of print. My mother found the book and bought it not knowing that it was my favorite story as a child. I read the book so many times that my book was destroyed. I have a view master with the story which I also love. I have my book sitting in my living room. Little Black Sambo has alot of good memory's for me.

Rating:
Summary: This book is wonderful!
Review: When I was young we were read this story a lot. We were read the story so much that the book wore out. After that I had to ask my older brother to tell it to me because I couldn't remember it. I don't understand how this book is racist besides Sambo, Mumbo, and Jumbo's titles "little black" and the artwork. But the artwork just portrays the views of the time, and I've never understood how calling someone "black" is racist and calling someone "white" is'nt. If you want to read anything into this story it should be how a little boy outwitted four tigers. If you want to read a great childrens story pick it up. But if your looking for a place to unleash your insecurities of yourself leave this book to those who appreciate it. If people don't like it they are free not to read it, and if people like it they should be free to read it.

Rating:
Summary: Read it to children over and over again
Review: While many who find Bannerman's story of little black sambo cute,they fail to understand that major complaint that African-Americans and people of African descent had with the story, was the gross exaggerated illustrations that left no doubt that the character was of African descent. while the author mentions India, the illustrations were definitely derrogatory no matter who and what race they portrayed. Julian Lester's "Sam and the Tiger" tells the same story without the gross derrogatory illustrations.