Sambos restaurant FINALLY gets rid of that offensive name

[Hekate]

12. Kind of a Santa Barbara landmark, but should have changed the name 30+ years ago. By the way...

...for anyone raised with the story who loved the words and didn't "see" the truly offensive illustrations (ahem), look up "The Story of Little Babaji" illustrated by Fred Marcellino. Helen Bannerman lived in India for 30 years -- home of tigers and melted butter (ghi) and why she set and illustrated the tale she wrote for her children in Africa no one can say.

In any case, despite my growing up with catch-phrases like "lovely little pair of purple shoes with crimson soles and crimson linings" and "I am the grandest tiger in the jungle," I never read Little Black Sambo to my own kids. I didn't know how to get past the racism of the illustrations and names.

Marcellino's wonderful interpretation takes the story to India where it belongs, and renames the family Little Babaji, Mamaji, and Papaji. Published in 1996, it came too late for my kids, but I bought a copy for my library anyway. Highly recommended.

We all know about Sam Battistone and Newell Bohnett and their formerly-humorous homage to the buttery pancakes of the storybook, but I am so glad their descendents are moving on. All the best to them.