The Story of Little Babaji [Hardcover]

Helen Bannerman (Author), Fred Marcellino (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 3 and up | Grade Level: P and up

Born in Edinburgh in 1863, Helen Bannerman lived in India for thirty years. As a gift for her two little girls, she wrote and illustrated The Story of Little Black Sambo(1899), a story that clearly takes place in India (with its tigers and "ghi," or melted butter), even though the names she gave her characters belie that setting. For this new edition of Bannerman's much beloved tale, the little boy, his mother, and his father have all been given authentic Indian names: Babaji, Mamaji, and Dadaji. And Fred Marcellino's illustrations'lively and lavish'are unmistakably Indian in every detail. The Story of Little Babaji:an old favorite is lovingly, memorably transformed.

1996 Children's Books (NY Public Library)
Notable 1997 Childrens' Trade Books in Social Studies (NCSS/CBC)
1997 Editor's Choice (Booklist)
Booklist Notable Children's Books of 1997
‘Lasting Connections of 1996' Book Links

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Almost a century ago, when Helen Bannerman created the story of Little Black Sambo while traveling on a train to Madras, she never guessed that her simple tale would become a symbol of racism. It was the names she chose for her characters and the simple, crude illustrations that earned the story a place on the trash heap of politically incorrect literature. Underneath the racist veneer, however, is a simple and timeless story. Thank goodness for Fred Marcellino's new version. He saves the tale by changing the names of the characters to Babaji, Mamaji and Papaji. In doing so, he has resurrected a basically honorable tale from a largely undeserved fate. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

Like Julius Lester and Jerry Pinkney (see Sam and the Tigers, below; and see Children's Books, July 29), Marcellino (Puss in Boots) takes on the task of recasting Helen Bannerman's 1899 classic, Little Black Sambo; also like Lester and Pinkney, he obtains winning results. He sets his version in India, changing the names of the characters from their racist originals to reflect local terms of affection but otherwise retaining Bannerman's simple, straightforward text. Papaji is a mustachioed, turbaned artisan; Mamaji, draped in a sari, sews the finery that draws the tigers' attention; Little Babaji strolls through the jungle?past palm fronds and temples?in an outfit worthy of a rajah. He loses his fine clothing piece by piece to a succession of tigers, but triumphs when the egotistical creatures chase one another around a tree until they all melt into butter. The tigers are by turns haughty, intimidating, and immensely silly in their exaggerated preening and posturing: for example, as they escalate their dispute over which tiger is the grandest, one pounces elaborately upon another, who has put up his paws, boxing-style. A stylish and comparatively spare interpretation?Marcellino several times uses a single image set off by white space, suggesting rather than showing the country's lushness?that still captures the childlike whimsy and charm of this long-lived tale. Ages 2-up.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 72 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins; 1 edition (August 30, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0062050648
• ISBN-13: 978-0062050649
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 6.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #804,170 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I am so glad my children can enjoy this!!, June 26, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Story of Little Babaji (Hardcover)

I remember so vividly my "Tell-a-Tale" book of "Little Black Sambo." It was one of my favorites, and I can distinctly hear my mother's voice reading it to me. None of us thought of it being racist at the time, and while I can understand why it was banned, I always mourned its passing. While I also like another recent version of this story, "Sam and the Tigers," "Little Babaji" has the exact text that I remember. It makes so much more sense to have an Indian family, because as my son says, "There are no tigers in Africa." What a lovely reminder of my childhood, and what beautiful illustrations. Now the only problem is that I don't know which of my children to give it to!

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Rare Example of an Updated Children's Book Done Well, November 4, 2001

By 

F. S. Dowler "Musical Storyteller" (Seattle, WA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Story of Little Babaji (Hardcover)

Normally, I eschew rewrites and updates, particularly if the books are children's novels "dumbed-down" for board book and toy book appeal. However, Little Babaji is exquisite in this rewrite of The Story of Little Black Sambo. The Indic names "Mamaji, Papaji, and Babaji" convey a new warmth for the story of a boy who creatively outwits wild tigers without swords or sorcery. (I think of Max in Sendak's Where the Wild Things Are, especially in the double-page spread in the book's middle.) Marcellino's illustrations are humorous and spirited. My only wish is that the publishers would reprint Little Babaji in a size large enough for easy viewing in library preschool storytimes.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderful Legacy, January 4, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: The Story of Little Babaji (Library Binding)

As I read through this version I had vivid memories of my mother reading Little Black Sambo to me when I was four years old. Now, as was then, it is difficult to determine if the illustrations bring the text to life or if it is the other way around! When I first showed the book to my two boys (5 and 9 years old), the response was ho-hum----then I quietly began to read. They became transfixed, after all,watching wily tigers turn into butter is a pretty neat trick. The legacy lives on and so does our desire to munch on some pancakes at the end of each reading.