Helen Bannerman facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Helen Bannerman
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Helen Bannerman
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| Born | 25 February 1862 Edinburgh, UK |
| Died | 13 October 1946 (aged 84) Edinburgh, UK |
| Resting place | Grange Cemetery |
| Occupation | Author |
| Nationality | Scottish |
| Education | University of St. Andrews (LLA) |
| Genre | Children's books |
| Notable works | Little Black Sambo |
| Spouse | William Burney Bannerman |
| Children | 4 |
| Relatives | Patrick Heron Watson |
Helen Brodie Cowan Bannerman (born Watson; 25 February 1862 – 13 October 1946) was a Scottish writer. She wrote many popular books for children. Her most famous book is Little Black Sambo, which came out in 1899.
Helen Bannerman's Life Story
Helen Bannerman was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. She was one of seven children. Her father, Robert Boog Watson, was a church minister. He also studied shells and snails. From age 2 to 12, Helen lived in Madeira with her family. Her father worked there as a minister.
When her family returned to Scotland, Helen wanted to go to university. At that time, women were not allowed to attend British universities. So, she took special exams from the University of St. Andrews. She earned a degree called Lady Literate in Arts (LLA) in 1887.
In 1889, Helen married Dr. William Burney Bannerman. He was a doctor in the Indian Medical Service. They moved to Madras (now called Chennai) in India. This city is the capital of the state of Tamil Nadu. Helen lived in India for 30 years. She and William had four children: Janet, Day, James "Pat", and Robert.
Helen Bannerman passed away in Edinburgh in 1946. She is buried with her husband in Grange Cemetery in south Edinburgh. Her grandson was the physicist Tom Kibble. He helped discover the Higgs boson.
Her Famous Books
Helen Bannerman's books often featured pictures and stories about India. They showed different parts of Indian culture. For example, her book Little Black Sambo includes things like ghee (a type of butter), tigers, and a bazaar (a market).
Other books also had Indian themes:
- Story of Little Black Mingo features a jungle, a mugger (a kind of crocodile), a dhobi (a washerman), and a mongoose.
- Little Black Quasha also has a bazaar and tigers.
- The Story of Little Black Quibba includes mangoes and elephants.
List of Works
- The Story of Little Black Sambo, 1899
- Story of Little Black Mingo, 1901
- The Story of Little Black Quibba, 1902
- Little Degchie-Head: An Awful Warning to Bad Babas, 1903
- Little Kettle-Head, 1904
- Pat and the Spider, 1905
- The Story of the Teasing Monkey, 1907
- Little Black Quasha, 1908
- Story of Little Black Bobtail, 1909
- Sambo and the Twins, 1936
