The Story of Little Black Sambo
Black Sambo is the fanciest dressed boy you could ever find in the African jungle. He thinks that he looks magnificent in his red coat, blue trousers, purple shoes with crimson soles and linings all accessorized by a green umbrella.
As he is walking along in his fine clothes, he comes in contact with four hungry tigers, each individually. When the first tiger tells him that he is going to eat him up, Sambo tells him that he will give him his beautiful little red coat in exchange for his life. The tiger agrees to the deal.
One by one, Sambo bargains away bits of his finery. When it comes to getting the tiger more interested in the purple shoes than in making Sambo his lunch, Sambo must come up with a creative way for the tiger to use the shoes. Being a quick thinker, he tells the tiger to wear the purple footwear on his ears. His ingenuity is stretched even more when he suggests that the fourth tiger tie a knot in his tail so he can carry the green umbrella.
But will Sambo's fate end up in the belly of one (if not all) of the tigers? You should definitely read this one yourself to find out.
I enjoyed the creativity of the boy in this book. The idea of talking to the tigers and attempting to bargain with them is a feast for the imagination.
The illustrations by Christopher Bing, a Caldecott Honor winning artist are exceptional.
