3. The Story of Little Black Sambo. Bannerman, Helen. (1862-1946) The Story of Little Black Sambo. London: Grant Richards, 1899. 16mo. First Edition. Publisher's original pale green cloth, lettered and decorated in dark green. No. 4 in The Dumpy Books for Children series, edited by E. V. Lucas. Illustrated with 27 full-page color illustrations. An incredibly rare book in truly Fine condition with no restoration or repair. Helen Bannerman wrote her stories to entertain her own children and Little Black Sambo was their favorite. Together with Beatrix Potter, Bannerman established the genre of children's books that gave equal importance to the pictures and the text. Only a handful of the original printing has survived, and of the copies known, most are badly worn due to constant handling by children and show extensive restoration and repair. Exceptionally rare in such amazing condition. $8,000 – $12,000