Sam and the Tigers

by Julius Lester

Book by Lester, Julius

Genres: Picture Books, Cultural, Childrens, African American, Animals, Fiction, Fantasy

Library Binding

First published September 1, 1996

About the author

Julius Lester was an American writer of books for children and adults. He was an academic who taught for 32 years (1971–2003) at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He was also a photographer, as well as a musician who recorded two albums of folk music and original songs.

Reviews

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

First things first - this is, as the title makes clear, a retelling of Little Black Sambo. If you're interested in a retelling that's closer to the original (it's the same text, but with modern illustrations and different names) try The Tale of Little Babaji.

Having read the original text of Little Black Sambo (which is hardly banned - you can find it at Project Gutenberg online), and the text of Little Babaji, I can see why people liked it. Aside from the unfortunate names and illustrations, it's a cute story. It is! As the author and illustrator note in their foreword and afterword, the author never meant to write a racist story and you're not racist if you loved hearing it from your mom when you were a kid.

(Those same foreword and afterword informed me that there are over FIFTY versions of the "original" Little Black Sambo, with 50 different sets of illustrations. Must have been a really popular book.)

At home, we have a copy of Little Babaji, and a copy of Sam and the Tigers. (We also have read 5 versions of Cinderella, 2 of Seven in one Blow, 4 of Rapunzel, 3 of Hansel and Gretel, 2 of The Gingerbread Man, and 2 of Rumpelstiltskin. But who's counting?) Any story which has existed long enough to enter into the public domain is going to find itself with multiple tellings. This is a good thing - everybody in the world alters stories to suit their tastes. We all read the same book, but we get different messages out of it. I love it!

And you know what else I love? I love this version. The original is a cute story, but this version expands upon it and fleshes things out better. Sam has a bit of attitude, something I always appreciate in my storybook characters. Sam's parents being named Sam and Sam makes for a couple of funny pages in the start of the book. The neighbors talking about the tigers' mysterious disappearance makes me giggle. In truth, this is a superior story. Not because it's "more PC", but because there's just more detail and more STORY there (and you can't beat those illustrations!)

So before you get your knee-jerk reaction of "OMG THEY RUINED IT!" (or maybe "OMG THE ORIGINAL WAS A HORROR, WHY DO THIS???") try it out with open eyes. Pretend it's a brand-new book - and maybe you'll like it after all.

(If not - go to google and get a printer. Honestly, nothing has been banned or censored, the original is simply not in print anymore.)

[booklady · Rating 5 out of 5]

My grandson LOVES this book and I have to agree. This retelling is very well-done, and the artwork is eye candy sensational. My daughter (his mother) informed me it was one of her favorites growing up as well.

One small criticism, I could do without the mother, father and Sam all having the same name of Sam. When I read it aloud to my grandson, I read Sam as Sam, but I call his parents, mother or father and not Sam. I do not see the point ... can anyone tell me?

He has asked for this book the last four times he has come to visit.

[Mir · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sam and his parents (Also named Sam, as is everyone in this imaginary land) live in a world where everyone lives in harmony, humans and animals together. Which turns out to mean that animals wear clothes and run shops, anthropomorphically. Despite this asserted harmony, tigers still eat people, apparently. Um, are you sure you thought that concept through, sir?

[Demetri Broxton-Santiago · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the greatest children's books ever written. I read it to my son at least once a week. Sam, the main character, lives in Sam-sam-samara where everyone's name is Sam. But no one ever gets confused about which Sam someone is talking to. Anyway, Sam is getting ready to start school, so his parents-- Sam and Sam, take Sam school clothes shopping. Well, little Mr. Sam chooses a wardrobe that has enough color to shame the brightest rainbow.
On his way to school, Sam encounters a series of Tigers, all who want to eat him. Sam, in classic African-American story fashion, cleverly tricks each and every Tiger until he begins to run out of tricks. What will he do to escape the Tigers?
You have to read it and find out for yourself... All the voices and clever little nuances of language are what makes this an amazing story.... Not to mention all the incredible art.

[Paige Cuthbertson| Turning_Every_Paige · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this with my five year old daughter and we both loved it!

I haven’t read the original Little Black Sambo story. I live in Africa, and I especially wanted my daughter to see a book that illustrated black people with dignity, so I avoided the originals. I will most likely check it out privately by myself sometime.

The story is so fun! I love the southern-black voice in which ur was written- it gives a great rhythm to the book! Sam has a spunky attitude and lots of courage, which made us smile. I loved the individuality he portrayed with his sense of style, and think it’s a positive way to teach kids to be themselves.

I also loved the purely fantastical elements of the story! The anthropomorphic animals living side by side with people, the tiger fight and its amusing conclusion, and the pancake feast at the end were not meant to be parabolic— just entertaining.

And the illustrations really were wonderful! Very vivid and detailed, and beautifully done. I think this is going to be a favorite around here for a long time to come.

[Heloyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remembered this story from my childhood. It was always a favorite and while there was a period of time it was considered controversial, I never recall having those feelings that seemed to be attached to it. To me, it was just a wonderful story. I was delighted to see this new version by Julius Lester and Jerry Pinkney and found as much fun reading it now as I did then. The two page spread of the tigers is worth the price of the book and of course, they turned into butter. I knew that.

[Sara Angel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!!! this is a great one to read to 4th and 5th graders after discussion of civil rights/sterotypes/racism. I love this book!!! I love Pinkney!

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good memories of "Sambo" from childhood. Enjoyed this "accepted" retelling of a clever boy.

[Charlene McCormack · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was fine but the forward by Jerry Pinkney and afterward written by Julius Lester made the book for me. They shared their history of the book and why they wanted a new version.

[Davin Thompson-williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sam had terrible fashion sense. It is a great story. Sam bested the tigers. There were many cameo appearances from different characters. The book was easy to read and enjoyable.

[George Siehl · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Little Black Sambo" was the 1899 literary creation of Helen Bannerman, a Scotswoman living in India. The book she wrote was intended as an amusement for her two daughters. The story has been republished in many versions in the nearly century-and-a-quarter since its first appearance. The story centers on a young Black boy who outwits a series of tigers who plan to eat him. Spoiler alert: in the end it is he who consumes the tigers. It is a tale that children have loved, especially because of the theme of the kid being able to take care of himself against a powerful adversary.

This "retelling" of that story, "Sam and the Tigers," is delightful in both the narrative by Julius Lester and the illustrations by Jerry Pinkney. In an afterword, author Lester, provides an account of the book's history, his desire to make it free of racial mischaracterizations, and his approach to the tale.

The story is now set in the land of Sam-sam-sa-mara where all the people are named Sam. People and animals interact in the local economy as the protagonist is taken on search for back-to-school clothes. The shopping takes them to establishments owned and operated by Mr. Elephant, Mr. Monkey, Miss Cat, Mr. Giraffe, and Brer Rabbit. Young Sam holds out for being allowed to make his own choices and winds up with a very colorful assortment.

Wearing the bright outfit to school, Sam encountered a Tiger who is not so amiable as the merchants: the Tiger announces that he is going to eat Sam. Thinking quickly, Sam suggested that an alternative would be for the Tiger "to take his red coat instead." The Tiger considered the idea, thought the coat "cool," and the deal was done. Subsequent encounters with other of the big cats find Sam bargaining away his finery and keeping his life.

Down to his underwear, Sam cried and cried. Then heard the familiar Tiger growl. He hid, peeked out and found the Tigers preening and each proclaiming themself the finest of all. The contest turned nasty and the cats shed their piece of fine clothing and started scrapping among themselves. Round and round a tree they tore, each biting the tail of the one in front. Sam retrieved his outfit as the cats raced faster and faster around the tree, still locked in deathly combat.

Sam went on to school and returning home found the Tigers melted to a pool of butter. Sam ran home, got a jug and returned to the tree to retrieve the butter. He took it home and Mom Sam made pancakes , ladled them with the Tiger butter. There was so much to eat that Sam and his Dad went out and invited all the animal merchants home to join in a feast.

The fresh, contemporary language and the charming, imaginative artwork by these Black collaborators makes this a fun read for a whole new generation of readers, and a wonderful re-read for the generations that worked from the Bannerman and other versions of the past.

[Kaethe · Rating 4 out of 5]

The folktale without the racist, colonial assumptions. Well done.

Library copy

[wildct2003 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story, smart kid

[Sarah Sammis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every book, every story, has multiple contexts. There's a context when it's written. A context when it's read and sometimes a context develops as a story ages and people, right or wrong, appropriate the story to their needs. Little Black Sambo (1899) by Helen Bannerman is a story with a sorted past and now, right or wrong, many racist connotations.

When I was a toddler in the 1970s, Sambo was one of the picture books I wanted read to me over and over again. To me, Sambo was a brave boy who was strong enough and brave enough to outwit dangerous and hungry tigers. Growing up in a fairly liberal San Diego neighborhood, I hadn't heard of Sambo being used as a racial epithet until the national uproar forced the shuttering of all (but one) of Sambo's Restaurants in 1982.

By 1983 Little Black Sambo was a taboo story. I don't know (or remember) if the library pulled the book off the shelf or if I had just outgrown the story — I was ten by then. But it was a story that only came up in heated debates over racism in children's literature.

In 1996 Julius Lester and Jerry Pinkney collaborated on a retelling called Sam and the Tigers that as Book a Day Almanac post puts it "took the racial sting" out of the story. Julius Lester explains in the introduction to the book that he grew up with the story and loved it. He wanted to reclaim the story and make something that present day children could enjoy without all the associated negativity.

Sambo's name is shortened to Sam and he lives in a land where everyone is named Sam. Animals and people live and work side by side (including pesky, dangerous tigers). Sam has to make a deal with the tigers so he can walk to school safely.

Pinkney's illustrations create a likable and believable boy. Sam's colorful costume and the bright orange tigers will be a recognizable to parents or grandparents who grew up on the original but Pinkney's work is a definite improvement over the version I remember reading as a child.

I'm glad to have found this retelling at the library. Sweeping the unsavory stuff under the rug is a sure fire way to just continue propagating it. Sam and the Tigers can be read in conjunction with the original text which is available online.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about a "new telling of the controversial story of sambo". Sam is a little black boy who lives in a world where humans and animals all get along. All humans are named Sam and the animals were called Mr. Elephant or Mrs. Monkey. His escape starts when he goes with his mom and dad to a swap meet for school clothes. He selects the loudest in colored clothes that he could find like a red jacket, a yellow shirt, purple pants, silver shoes and a green umbrella. On his way to the first day of school he happens to run into five huge tigers that are ready to eat him. Sam convinces each one of them to take an article of his clothing instead. The Tigers were jealous of the other tigers and their clothes that they fought to a point that the clothing were on the floor instead of on them. They held on to their tails and spin so fast that they turned themselves into butter. Sam asked if they still wanted their clothing and since they said nothing he put them back on and went off on his way. He grabbed some of the butter and took it home where they had a feast on pancakes and butter. Everybody minus the Tigers lived happily ever after.

I like the story. It was entertaining to see nature and animals brought into the story as always. The illustrations on the hardcover of the book was very detailed and colorful. My library dial copy's jacket was identical to the hardcover which was smart because it protects it. The artwork was done in pencil and watercolor per the illustrator. The character was not afraid of the ferocious Tigers maybe it was because of all of the faces in the trees. They gave him strength and protection. It is a good story of imagination. I feel I would have appreciated it better as children's art had there not been as much explanation of Sambo. I kept thinking of him as a slave unfortunately instead of just a child.

[Audra Sein · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sam and the Tigers is a picturebook written by Julius Lester and illustrated by Jerry Pinkney. It recounts the story of Sam, a boy who lives in a land where animals and people work together, and every person s named Sam.

The first thing I noticed about this picturebook was that is horizontally oriented. This makes me think that the setting is important to this story.

The second thing I noticed was that the illustration on the cover wraps around to show both Sam and the Tigers, the main characters in this story. This sets the reader up for what he/she will be reading.

Another thing I noticed as I read this picturebook was that the illustrator shows the tigers moving extremely fast through blurring them.

On one page, I noticed a demand. This comes after Sam had procured all his new clothes for school. On this particular page, Same declares, "Ain't I fine!" The illustration on this page shows Sam, in all of his finery, looking straight at the reader, as if he is asking the reader how he looks.

The fanciful nature of the illustrations, like having the animals wearing clothes, and interacting with humans as if the animals themselves are humans, denoted the fanciful nature of the story itself.

The structure of the picturebook is a home-away-home structure.

The picturebook is enhancing picturebook. One reason I came to this conclusion is because without the illustrations, it would be hard to tell which Sam the text is referring to, so the illustrations are important to understanding the story being told.

I would share this book with students to enhance their imaginations, and induce a little creativity.

[Folakemi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book too me seems a bit controversial in the authors attempt to lift the blame off white people for the racist origin of this story. Lester talks about in the epilogue of the book, the story not being meant to be fun and fanciful letting the main character Sam be free of the prejudice most people associate and letting the story be a fantastical and cute tale with a young black boy as a positive and happy hero of the story. I do understand where the author is coming from in terms of letting the little boy simply be the hero of the story without the barriers of his race weighing in. I feel that black people in general do not get the chance to be apart of something without people first noticing their race not simply letting them be there and be themselves.
The setting is simply a backdrop and would not change the story if it was different. The story is simply taking place in a town nothing specific.
Sam and his family who are all named Sam go shopping for new clothes for Sam(the boy), he picks out all these brightly colored clothes and the next day he heads to school and encounters many tigers. They all try to eat him but he trades his fancy clothes for his life until he find the foolish tigers and tricks them out of the clothes.
The story honestly does not make much sense but its supposed to be a fantasy story that just lets the child be imaginative and places a black person in a role that is not based off their race alone.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Sam and the Tigers” by Julius Lester was another book about fantasy and how students can use their imagination to escape reality. I think reading fantasy book is great way for students to see into other worlds of fantasy and take away something from these genres of books. I don’t know if it’s because their not my favorite genre of books or if I wasn’t too fascinated by the storyline but this book didn’t really do much for me. I think as a child, kids enjoy the silliness of how the characters in the story are all named “Sam” and how the tigers end up fighting with each other to be the best and eventually vanish away. I think they would also like that their animal characters. I wouldn’t say I dislike the story but it didn’t have an impact on me that I thought it would.

I thought the pictures were neat because you could tell it took a lot of details to create each picture. It looks like they are drawings and paintings. I liked how everything was colorful from the plants, the clothes, the animals, and the small details. I enjoyed the pages that had no texts best, maybe because the tigers were fighting during that time. I also liked the part when the tigers start to vanish and turn into this “pool of butter” and the colors really stand out nicely.

[Rebecca Hipps · Rating 4 out of 5]

Julius Lester retells the classic story of “Little Black Sambo,” in “Sam and the Tigers.” Between the humorous and imaginative story of a land where animals and people interact and communicate together and Pinkney’s artistic illustrations, Sam’s world comes alive in this picturebook. As I read this book, I was taken back to my own childhood, where I was surrounded by stories and imagination. This story reminded me of times when my self-selected colorful clothes expressed my feelings of the day and I talked to my pets, fully expecting them to respond in English.
I found the author’s afterword very informative and interesting. Lester describes the political discussions surrounding the original, “Little Black Sambo,” and the way characters were portrayed negatively. He explains that “Sam and Tigers” is an attempt to bring the beloved story to life without including negative racial connotations. I found the realistic illustrations of the humans and animals to be eye-catching and think the author and illustrator did an excellent job of recreating this story in a more “politically-correct” manner. I found that the text was full of the author’s storytelling voice and the dialect was represented very tastefully.

[Melanie Hetrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing retelling of the traditional "Little Black Sambo." Lester and Pinkney, both African-Americans, bring a cultural understanding to this troubled story. In retrospect, it was mostly adults who had issues with the book. Children enjoyed the tigers and the pancakes at the end of the story.

Lester renamed the main character from "Sambo," a traditionally derogatory name for black people. In choosing "Sam" he made the character much more approachable for young readers. But the main story stays the same. Sam needs new clothes and chooses wildly colored apparel. When traveling through the forest, he loses pieces of clothing to hungry, but vain tigers. Finally, when Sam is running around in only his underclothes, he finds the tigers arguing amongst themselves about who is the finest. Sam seizes the moment from the distracted tigers to steal his clothes back. The tigers, however, continue to chase each other around a tree until they have all melted into a pool of butter. Sam scoops some up in a pitcher and takes it home where his mother agrees to have pancakes for dinner!

[Josiah · Rating 2 out of 5]

There really is no one out there who writes picture books the way that Julius Lester does. He has a terrific way with words, and a grasp of the use of metaphor and simile that creates an entirely new sort of picture book experience.

Anyone familiar with Helen Bannerman's Little Black Sambo will have a good idea about what's going to happen in this "new telling" of the classic story from 1899. The resourcefulness of the boy Sam as he outwits a group of tigers is the main focus of Sam and the Tigers, but my favorite part was the description of Sam's world, the type of imaginative land in which every person can be named Sam without a trace of resulting confusion, and animals and people can live and work together simply because "they didn't know they weren't supposed to." To live in such a world...

I like this book, as I've always liked everything done by Julius Lester. I would rate Sam and the Tigers somewhere in the one-and-a-half to two-star range.

[Morgan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a retelling of Little Black Sambo, that "classic" piece of racist drivel. This book is a vast improvement mostly because of the illustrations, which in the original are gross stereotypes and caricatures. The problem I have with this, like LBS, is that the story itself is just weird--tigers melt into a puddle of butter and the human characters--here, all named Sam--eat plates of pancakes. It's just bizarre, even within the context of children's literature, to eat melted tigers.

Illustrated by Jerry Pinkney, the pictures are beautifully drawn and clearly rendered. If parents still must share the Sambo story, this is the way to do it. Julius Lester wrote an afterword, briefly outlining the history of LBS and putting the story in historical context. He highlights the reason for the controversy and yet still manages to find redeeming qualities in it. Overall, I still recommend skipping this and its original and finding one of the thousands of other, better books available.

[Joshua · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this displayed in my local library and couldn't believe it. Late last year, I attended a seminar of multicultural literature focusing on children's literature and "Little Black Sambo", the story this book is based on, was cited as unforgivably reinforcing racial stereotypes. Knowing that I couldn't understand why anyone would try to update that story, but here this one is.
It turns out that this retelling is done by an acclaimed pair of African-American author and illustrator. There is an excellent preface telling Julius Lester's story of his own experience with "Little Black Sambo" and his desire to tell the story in a better way. And he does, the language is wonderful throughout. My first favorite line describes Sam as looking for a coat like he is "searching for the truth." The art also is persistently great.
It inspired me to check out more work by Julius Lester who really is a great storyteller.

[Sasha Boersma · Rating 4 out of 5]

On reading about the history of children’s literature, I was introduced to the original story “Little Black Sambo”. I became curious about the various modern retellings of the story and their approach to overcome the racist undertones of the original work.

What makes this version fun is that instead of making the boy more Indian, the author and illustrator owned the Black character Sambo, gave him a more fitting name, and presented him with pride and personality.

Much more mystical retelling than most others, with humans and animals living together. The story itself sounds more like a southern US tale, which allows the book to stand on its own unlike most other retellings of Little Black Sambo.

[Dixie Goode · Rating 5 out of 5]

In my long ago childhood, I sat on my grandmother’s arthritic knees and listened to her graceful reading of one story after another. Most of the ones that were fascinating to remember had already, or have by now, entered into the public domain and been retold numerous times. Most of the time I hold those originals in their favorite place, but this book builds upon, and improves the story of the original immensely. The illustrations are rich and delightful. The jewel like tones on the clothing the boy barters for his life with make one understand why a hungry tiger might agree to the trade. The added playfulness of the language when everyone is named Sam, and the cleverness of the independent and intrepid main character top this off as sweetly as melted butter on pancakes.

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

As the title says, this is a retelling of Little Black Sambo. It's told with humour, such as there was a place called Sam-sam-sa-mara in which everyone was named Sam. Everyone, with no confusion!

Sam got new clothes for school, very colourful, beautiful clothes, from the animal vendors. On his way to school, and dressed in his finest, he was approached by tigers - one at a time - threatening to eat him. He gave each one a piece of his fine new apparel, including his umbrella. Then he came up with a plan to get them all back.

The story is very nicely told, and the illustrations are stunning.

[Kaylynn Johnsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sad but true reality, this book could only have been written and illustrated by black authors and artists. These are timeless tales that should be shared to ever. I am grateful that Julius Lester and Jerry Pinkney took the time to find the history and re-tell these stories to a modern audience. Love it, love it, love it.

In Sam-sam-sa-rama everyone is named Sam. Sam is shopping for school clothes. He chooses vibrant colors. Red as a happy heart, purple as a love that would last forever. Yellow as tomorrow. Silver shining like promises that are always kept. Green as a satisfied mind. Beautiful.

[Amy Layton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is so fun, filled with Lester's new narrative and Pinkney's astounding watercolors.  I absolutely loved this retelling in comparison with the original--what a good duo the author and illustrator make!  Also, I'm just a huge sucker for trickster characters getting outwitted, so this book definitely made me crack a wide grin.

Review cross-listed here!

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Julius Lester and Jerry Pinkney teamed up to rework Little Black Sambo, rescuing it from its racist past. Young Sam is a fun and spunky hero, and the book is full of humor. In the afterword, Lester reminds us that the original story was never set in a real place - it is in a fantasy world, and Lester and Pinkney embrace that, setting the book in Sam-sam-sa-mara, where everyone is named Sam. A fun and creative story.

[Zariah Walton · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is an "OK" book its not something I would choose to read to my students but my students were to pick the book for me to read to them or the class; I would not have a problem doing so. This book is very colorful and has the qualities that seems that a young boy would want to read. This books gives the adventure of a young boy who makes a deal with some animals and in the end things go better than planned.