Cover of The Story of Little Black Sambo, and The Story of Little Black Mingo

The Story of Little Black Sambo, and The Story of Little Black Mingo

by Helen Bannerman

Reading level
Easy
Price
Free

About the book

"The Story of Little Black Sambo, and The Story of Little Black Mingo" by Helen Bannerman is a children's book written and illustrated in 1899. When young Sambo encounters four hungry tigers during a walk, he must surrender his colorful new clothes and umbrella to save himself. But the vain tigers' argument leads to an unexpected transformation. Once celebrated as featuring one of the first Black heroes in children's literature, the book later became controversial due to racial stereotypes in its illustrations and character names, prompting numerous revised editions.

  • Children's stories
  • Boys
  • Girls
  • India
  • Tiger
  • Pride and vanity

Updated September 2026. Public domain in the USA. Text and summary from Project Gutenberg eBook #1330. The Story of Little Black Sambo, and The Story of Little Black Mingo on Wikipedia.

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