Almost a century ago Helen Bannerman published Little Black Sambo, the story of a small boy who gets back his beautiful outfit that has been stolen by some tigers. For decades the book has provoked so much controversy about its racist elements that many librarians removed it from their shelves. This fall two new versions of the story have been published: The Story of Little Babaji, illustrated by Fred Marcellino and Sam and the Tigers ,written by Julius Lester and illustrated by Jerry Pinkney. Each rewrite is different, but both revive the old magic and add a new richness.
Fred Marcellino's version has the most in common with the original story. He's changed the names and character illustrations to those that are Indian so they are a better match for the setting. Other than that, he's stuck to the orignial text , small format and even a fine paper stock. While it's clear Marcellino has worked to preserve the integrity of the original story, he's made subtle changes to improve it. His brilliant watercolors give great expression for the richness and desirability of Babaji's clothes and his style brings a new depth of motion and emotion to the story.
Sam and the Tigers is by Lester and Pinkney. Both African-American men grew up with the classic and were captivated by the magic, but alienated and confused by the racism. Their version builds on the foundation of Bannerman's original, but makes many departures. The story is set in a magical place "called Sam-sam-sa-mara, where the animals and people lived and worked together like they didn't know they weren't supposed to." In this version, Sam's new outfit is the result of shopping for school clothes. That's not the only difference, the author's expression is completely original as Lester describes the vivid colors with word images that convey an intensity of emotion and compliment the strength of Pinkey's illustrations. Sam, for example, has "a pair of silver shoes shining like promises that are always kept." This long-ago-faraway voice is blended with spirited dialect and an urban contemporary attitude that brings the tale straight into the nineties. When the tiger with Sam's red coat growls "I'm the finest" the Tiger in the yellow shirt disses, "No way, Insect Breath! I'm the finest!" Pinkney's illustrations echo Lester's words. He blend fantasy, with realistic detailing, and a frivolity that lights up the pages.
I shared these new versions with my children without telling them of the book's history. I was pleased to see that tigers turning into butter and a small boy eating 169 pancakes were images as magical to them as they had once been to me. I take that as positive proof that Bannerman created a story strong enough to endure for generations. Hopefully these new versions will keep the classic on library shelves so that children will enjoy it for generations to come.