Epaminondas and His Auntie

by Sara Cone Bryant, Inez Hogan (Illustrator)

This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book.

Genres: Childrens, Picture Books

16 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1907

Reviews

[Joyce McCombs · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have this book in my collection for many reasons. It's been censored repeatedly, it's not politically correct, and it's my mother-in-laws favorite memory from her childhood. We have had some truly animated discussions about it and the racism in it escapes her... she just loves the story because her mama told it to her when she rocked her to sleep. It's hard to argue with that memory! And it gave me a new appreciation for the wide variety of stories that people love for a wide variety of reasons.

[LeAnn L Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not currently a banned book but in the late 60’s was removed from libraries as having offensive illustrations and racist dialect.
Re-reading this book those descriptions are accurate. However, as a young child it was one of my favorites.
I think as a kid I liked the humor of Epaminondas running errands and always getting things messed up and as a result his aunt would scold him. ‘Epaminondas, you ain’t got the sense you was born with!’
(I actually think that line has been borrowed to use in movies.)…and I believe this book is in the Jim Crow Museum.

[Jeff · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story is one that I heard variations on from my Mamaw growing up. She would tell this story whenever my brother or I would do something foolish or careless and say that we didn't have the sense God gave us. I was a little surprised by the illustrations, as I always pictured my brother as Epaminondas and Mamaw as Mammy.

[Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have this from my childhood. The pictures are what makes it such a politically incorrect book. But the story is right on with children and the way they take things so literally. Rename him JimBob, call Mammy Mommy, redo the art, and you'd see a warm, funny book.

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book as a kid. My grandmother owned an old copy that she saved from a book burning rally. I thought it was banned, but I just found it on Amazon.com.

[Marty Arnold · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've never set eyes on this book, but my mother pretty much had it memorized. She recited it over piles of unfolded laundry or a sink of dirty dishes all through the 1950s. She always used a standard Northern dialect, so for me, Empaminandas was a naughty little white boy.

What I still cherish about this story is how it so beautifully illustrates the common human foible of applying old solutions to new problems. Even today, when I read the news I wanna shake my head and exclaim, "Epaminondas Syndrome! We just aint' got the sense we was born with!"

[AmyEliza Springer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know this is said to be a racist story but I believe it is the art/illustrations that land it in that category. Amelia Bedelia stories and Deputy Dan are essentially the same story - adults misinterpreting directions. In Epaminondas it is a little boy who mixes up directions. Whether it is appropriate for this time or not is not what I am debating. My Grandmother would tell me this story from memory. That was a different time, different societal norms. Just warm memories for me.

[Brad · Rating 3 out of 5]

I remember this book very well from my childhood. My brother and I thought it was hilarious as well as another book called Amelia Bedelia about a young (white) maid who similarly took instructions literally with disastrous results. Both of these were favorite characters we often talked about. These stories draw on a long folk tradition of numbskull tales that can be found in many parts of the world (such as the Scandinavian Ole and Lena stories on a Prairie Home Companion). The comments about whether this book is "racist" or "not racist" or "politically incorrect" seem to be barking up the wrong tree. Racial inequality is a undeniable fact both now and in 1907 when Epaminondas was first published. Statistics on racial inequality in arrests, sentencing, incarceration, poverty, wealth, health, education, home ownership, etc demonstrate this beyond dispute. The question is then, how is racial inequality created and reproduced? Is it only passed on to children intentionally and explicitly by white supremacist parents or also unintentionally and implicitly by books depicting black children as intellectually deficient or by even more subtle portrayals of white people as "nice," "hardworking" or "trustworthy" and blacks as lacking these qualities? In 1907, Indiana was the first state to pass a eugenics law to sterilize the "feeble minded." Such laws became prevalent across the US and were later adopted by the Nazis. The majority of the people targeted for coercive sterilization in the US were black and native american. Some physicians at the time even endorsed the "black extinction thesis" arguing that black people were genetically weak and would naturally die out. So the 1907 story of a black boy with a weak intellect perfectly reflects the scientific racism of the time and could be seen as a justification for a real historical program of racial genocide. And it can also be seen as an innocent and funny traditional story. Or it could be seen as an opportunity to talk about race. If we label the book as "racist" or as "not racist," we shut down the discussion we need to have about racial inequality in the US today. The lesson of Epanimondas is not to jump to a literal conclusion then follow it through despite conflicting evidence. To declare this book "racist" or "not racist" is to be even more foolish than Epaminondas.

[Justin Tate · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very, very old children's classic of miscommunication in the vein of Amelia Bedelia. Epaminondas is a young boy whose aunt regularly gives him a gift to take home. Each time he carries the item home something goes wrong. His mother explains how he should've carried the item home, but then Epaminondas follows those instructions exactly and this causes new problems the next day when his aunt gives him something different. Like Amelia Bedelia, the story provides humorous commentary on children's tendency to take things literally and serves as a teaching moment on the complexity of language comprehension.

The book was particularly popular in schools from the 1910s through the 1930s but endured as recommended reading to children until the late 1960s. Since then, Epaminondas has been appropriately discarded from public interest due to its racist illustrations and inclusion of dialect fraught with harmful stereotypes. With few exceptions, it's only pursued today by historians and those who have fond memories of reading it as a child.

I'm in the historian camp. While researching an author, I came across an interesting newspaper clipping that mentioned her giving a public reading of this book in 1917, when she was in first grade. I was interested since she went on to become a celebrated book reviewer. Celebrated to the point that people actually bought tickets to watch her review books live on stage. With that kind of talent, it's not surprising she got the bug for performance at such a young age.

I cannot currently identify any thematic connections between this book and this author's eventual literary output as an adult, but perhaps the story's wit encouraged her to become a writer. Among her peers, she was unquestionably a progressive thinker and there is evidence she was particularly concerned with the plight of minorities. Perhaps, despite all its problems, the book helped her identify with children and families who looked different from her. I'd like to think that, anyway.

[Gerry]

My Dad gave me his copy of the book. This copyright is from 1938. I'm not sure when or why he purchased it - maybe he'd had an earlier copy or had it read to him in school. He was born in 1921 and the book was originally published in 1907 when his mother would have been a child!
My brother and I were talking about this book and I pulled it off the shelf - it was just as he and I remembered it. (Being the librarian in the family makes me the holder of books)
The pictures and language are from a time I'd like to believe is long gone. But the story is so sweet and funny.
I hesitate to give it stars - does 5 stars mean I want children today reading it as written?
I love lots of the fool tales like the Jack tales and Amelia Bedelia, this fits in with those.
I was really happy when Epossumondas by Coleen Salley was published telling the tale and removing the racist stereotypes of another time.

[Dick Peterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book, though far afield from political correctness, is extremely well written and illustrated. I remember my mom reading it to me, reading it on my own, and reading it to my twin daughters. When I read it today, it provides familiar amusement and warm memories.

[Caroline Bostick · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so sitting in my grandmother's bed & listening to her read it to me. I can hear her voice reading this after 15+ years.