The Story of Little Babaji

As a gift for her two little girls, Helen Bannerman wrote and illustrated The Story of Little Black Sambo (1899), a story that clearly takes place in India, even though the names she gave her characters belie that setting. For this new edition, the little boy, his mother and his father have been given authentic Indian names: Little Babaji, Mamaji, and Papaji, and Caldecott Honor illustrator Fred Marcellino's lively and lavish illustrations are unmistakably Indian in every detail. Full color.

Born in Edinburgh in 1863, Helen Bannerman lived in India for thirty years. As a gift for her two little girls, she wrote and illustrated The Story of Little Black Sambo(1899), a story that clearly takes place in India (with its tigers and "ghi," or melted butter), even though the names she gave her characters belie that setting. For this new edition of Bannerman's much beloved tale, the little boy, his mother, and his father have all been given authentic Indian names: Babaji, Mamaji, and Dadaji. And Fred Marcellino's illustrations'lively and lavish'are unmistakably Indian in every detail. The Story of Little Babaji: an old favorite is lovingly, memorably transformed.

1996 Children's Books (NY Public Library)
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1997 Editor's Choice (Booklist)
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