DIGITAL TOUR: Jerry Pinkney: Imaginings

Sam and the Tigers (1996)

Sam and the Tigers is a retelling of Little Black Sambo, a tale written in 1899 by Scottish author Helen Bannerman, who intended it as entertainment for her two young daughters. Popular in its time and beloved by Jerry Pinkney in his youth, the original book is viewed as controversial for its racial stereotypes and for the use of the name Sambo, a negative term for Africans since the early seventeenth century. In this retelling by Julius Lester and the artist, the charming tale of a little boy who uses his wit to triumph over several hungry tigers reclaims and brings to life a classic children’s tale.