Bannerman, H. (2007).
The Story of Little Black Sambo. New York: Fq Classics.
I have read Little Black Sambo since I was a little kid. My mother would read it to me and brought it home after she was told to take it off her library shelves. I think this story has a wonderful plot and underlying message. The story starts out with a boy who got a new red coat, new blue pants, new purple shoes, and a new green umbrella. He sure did look sharp as he went off to play. However, as the day progressed, Little Sambo gave away all his new clothes so the lion wouldn't eat him. Poor Sambo! But, when all the lions were fighting over his clothes, they disrobed and left his clothes in a pile, to continue their fighting. Sambo came upon them, gave them one more chance to keep his clothes, then took them, put them on, and boy did he look marvelous!
This title is number 90, of the 100 most challenged books. Apparently Sambo is slang and considered racial slurs. As a reader, I looked beyond the racial undertones that could be identified, and looked at the moral of the story, and how Little Sambo was able to make so many quick decisions to save his own life.
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