Some of the earliest materials for American children were primers, horn books, and battledores. The original New England primer consisted of religious education for children.
Early Works for American Children
In 1787 Americans imported books, including those by John Newbery. His A Little Pretty Pocket Book focuses on how children should behave, and The History of Little Goody Two Shoes is about the ruthless English landlord, implying that Americans should value their freedom.
During the latter part of the eighteenth century, James Janeway published the narrative A Token for Children, an account of the Adam and Eve original sin theme. However, patriotic works for children began to appear during this period. Parson Mason Locke authored The Life of George Washington, which offers a historical background about Washington. Noah Webster also created his American Spelling Book around this time – The Blue-Backed Speller (1790).
Samuel Goodrich
Although early writings for children were didactic, Samuel Goodrich, whose pseudonym was Peter Parley, somewhat changes this trend. Goodrich, who wrote during the early nineteenth century, gets credit for being the first “American” author of children’s books. He placed emphasis on instruction and entertainment, which was an innovative practice at the time. Interestingly though, Goodrich was also the first American author to display stereotyping and racial bias in children’s books.
In Goodrich’s A National geography for Schools he describes the people of an island in the Greenland region as short, simple-minded, ignorant non-Europeans. According to Virginia Haviland, Nathanial Hawthorne, a contemporary of Goodrich, states that Goodrich also describes Africans in similarly derogatory terms. Hawthorne did not like Goodrich because of his racist attitude and stereotypical writings. Haviland indicates that Hawthorne saw Goodrich as “A dealer in slipslop on many subjects.”
Helen Bannerman
In 1900 Helen Bannerman published The Story of Little Black Sambo. The story is about a black boy with exaggerated features who walks through the jungle in brightly-colored clothes. When he runs into vicious tigers, the boy gives his clothes to the tigers in exchange for his life. After a while, the tigers argue and fight over the clothes until they turn into butter (ghee). Little Black Sambo sees the butter, picks it up, and brings it home to his parents. Then his family prepares and eats an enormous amount of pancakes. This story became so popular that by 1912 it was in its third edition.
By 1927 Bannerman’s book reached the best book lists for teachers' and librarians' use in elementary schools. Little Black Sambo became so popular that Bannerman decided to write several similar stories. She followed Sambo with Sambo and the Twins, Little Black Quibba, Little Black Quasha, and Little Black Bobtail. With the exception of Bobtail, none of her stories reached the popularity level of Little Black Sambo, though the themes of all her stories are consistent: how Black children survive the threat of death by vicious animals.
Sambo’s Popularity
Why did Sambo become the number one book for millions of American children? Phyllis Yuill argues that America’s racist atmosphere contributed to the popularity of Bannerman’s books. Many leaders and other influential Americans of European descent loved the minstrel shows that had begun in the 1830’s with T.D. Rice and his popular edition of “Jump Jim Crow.” Although the minstrel shows began to decline a bit at the turn of the century, they resurfaced in the form of vaudeville acts. Performers such as Al Jolson continued to distort the images of African Americans with his “black-face” routines, and many silent films depicted Blacks as shiftless, ignorant buffoons with distorted appearances.
Therefore, the movies and vaudeville acts, as Yuill explains, “must have had some influence on the popular regard for Little Black Sambo.” Even though Black people disliked Sambo and his unrealistic, distorted character, some African Americans had to go along with the program. For example, in 1943 New York Public Library authorities forced Librarian Augusta Baker, a Black woman, to include Little Black Sambo, Little Black Bobtail, and Sambo and the Twins as part of her collection of children’s books against her wishes. Baker wanted unbiased, well-rounded books that accurately picture Black life in all parts of the world.
Walter de la Mare
Sambo lasted well into the 1980s. Walter de la Mare published “Sambo and the Snow Mountains” in his 1977 book of Collected Stories for Children. This third generation British Sambo is only bright enough to realize that if he were white, things would be better. He is not nearly as bright as Bannerman’s Sambo and hers was quite dumb. Mare’s Sambo took 8 ½ hours to make up and remember the following rhyme:
“A pill, a pill, is all he ask,
Dat take away his ink-black mask
And make him quicker at his task.”
Sources:
Haviland, Virginia. “Books in Children’s Picture Books,” Social Education, Vol. 45. 1981.
Yuill, Phyllis J. Little Black Sambo: A Closer Look. New York: Council on Interracial Books for Children/Racism and Sexism – Resource Center for Educators, 1976.
William Cook - Mr. Cook is a graduate of Hunter College of the City University of New York. He is pursuing a Ph.D in History and Education.
