Little Black Sambo. ["Animated" movable picture book, illustrated by Juian Wehr.]
by Bannerman, Helen
- Used
- Hardcover
- first
- Condition
- See description
- Seller
-
Los Angeles, California, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
New York: E.P. Dutton & Co., [1943] First edition with the Julian Wehr illustrations. The Story of Little Black Sambo was first published in 1899 as part of the Dumpy Books for Children from the publisher Grant Richards. Spiral-bound pages in original color-illustrated pictorial boards. . 6 x 8 in. . With seven full-page color illustrations by Wehr, each with movable, tab-activated elements. This copy has all seven movables (in contrast to later editions with fewer). A fine copy, scarce in this condition. Helen Bannerman (1862 – 1946) wrote The Story of Little Black Sambo in 1898 to entertain her daughters while traveling in India, where the family lived for thirty years while Bannerman's husband worked in the Indian Medical Service. The original Sambo story portrayed its protagonist as a South Indian boy, and Bannerman's follow-up books (including Little Black Mingo) also reference the landscape of the Indian subcontinent (Jeyathurai). Controversy surrounding the depiction of Sambo grew in the 1930s as American editions of the book proliferated: "In various editions of the book, Sambo is depicted as having very dark skin that is juxtaposed against the whites of his eyes and teeth, a broad nose, and a wide smile. While set in India and about an Indian protagonist, the illustrations matched what African Americans such as Langston Hughes recognized immediately to be the 'pickaninny'" racist caricature (Jeyathurai). Some critics saw Sambo as a relatively positive depiction of a dark-skinned protagonist, however, and the character has appeared in modern editions like The Story of Little Babaji (1996) and The Boy and the Tigers (2004). Julian Wehr (1898 – 1970) patented his own style of "animated" children's books in the early 1940s. While previous designs utilized a tab at the bottom edge of the page that could only be pulled up and down, Wehr's designs were more flexible, sometimes featuring multiple tabs that could be moved both back-and-forth and up-and-down. Wehr created over forty animated books, including versions of classic children's stories like Alice in Wonderland and Cinderella (both 1945). Wehr, who was also a sculptor, was trained at the Art Students League in New York City, where he studied under John French Sloan (1871 – 1951).
Synopsis
The Story of Little Black Sambo, a children's book by Helen Bannerman, a Scot who lived for 30 years in Madras in southern India, was first published in London in 1899. (An American edition of the book was illustrated by Florence White Williams. ) In the tale, an Indian boy named Sambo prevails over a group of hungry tigers. The little boy has to give his colourful new clothes, shoes, and umbrella to four tigers so they will not eat him.
Reviews
When I was a young I thought this was a great book. I never considered this book racist. But back then I didn't know what racism was. Sambo could have pink with yellow polka dots I would never have known the difference. Only when the grown ups made it racist did this ever enter my mind.
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Details
- Bookseller
- Michael R. Thompson, Booksellers, ABAA/ILAB (US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 17636
- Title
- Little Black Sambo. ["Animated" movable picture book, illustrated by Juian Wehr.]
- Author
- Bannerman, Helen
- Format/Binding
- Spiral-bound pages in original color-illustrated pictorial boards.
- Book Condition
- Used
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Edition
- First edition with the Julian Wehr illustrations. The Story of L
- Binding
- Hardcover
- Publisher
- E.P. Dutton & Co.,
- Place of Publication
- New York:
- Date Published
- [1943]
- Pages
- [24] pp.
- Size
- 6 x 8 in.
- Weight
- 0.00 lbs
Terms of Sale
Michael R. Thompson, Booksellers, ABAA/ILAB
CWO Visa, MC , American Express, Discover SHipping: $12.00 1st ordinary-sized book within the U.S., at cost for others. Our normal method of shipping within the U.S. is U.P.S. International orders shipped at cost; please inquire about costs of air and surface shipment. All books guaranteed as described. Items returnable within ten days if the customer is dissatisfied; please phone or e-mail first. Customers are encouraged to e-mail us with any questions before ordering.
About the Seller
Michael R. Thompson, Booksellers, ABAA/ILAB
About Michael R. Thompson, Booksellers, ABAA/ILAB
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Fine
- A book in fine condition exhibits no flaws. A fine condition book closely approaches As New condition, but may lack the...
- New
- A new book is a book previously not circulated to a buyer. Although a new book is typically free of any faults or defects, "new"...
- E.P.
- The double leaves bound into a book at the front and rear after ...
- First Edition
- In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...