The Story of Ferdinand — A Bull in a China Shop Can Be Graceful
Written: Sep 17 '07 (Updated Oct 07 '07)
Product Rating:
Pros: Absolutely beautiful in all aspects
Cons: None
The Bottom Line: The Story of Ferdinand is timeless and is more relevant today than it it ever was when it was written. Some things just never go out of style at all.
elvisdo's Full Review: Munro Leaf - The Story of Ferdinand
“Never judge a book by its cover” or “Looks can be deceiving”. These and many adages of a similar nature hold true when it comes to Ferdinand the Bull. Written by Munro Leaf and illustrated by Robert Lawson, The Story of Ferdinand is a timeless tale of a bull who beats to his own drum.
All his life, ever since he was a youngling, Ferdinand was different from the others. While the young calves were playing around, dreaming of growing up to be the biggest and strongest bull ever to compete in the bullring, Ferdinand was only concerned about sitting under a tree and smelling the flowers. It was his favourite pastime. As the years pass by, it still hasn’t changed for him. Even though he is the biggest and the strongest, he has no interest in bullfighting at all. Smelling the flowers still makes him happy.
Unfortunately, this wasn’t to last. A group of bullfighters came looking for the biggest bull for competition. Many of the bulls try to impress this group of men to no avail. Ferdinand had no interest whatsoever; however, a bee accidentally stings him. Ferdinand, for the first time in his life (and mostly out of shock), displays great power as he rampages through the field demonstrating impressive strength. The men are delighted and capture him.
Ferdinand finds himself in the middle of a bullring in front of thousands of people. Will he conform to society’s perception of his kind and be a rampaging bull or will he just be true to who he really is?
The Story of Ferdinand is an old, classic tale. Leaf penned this back in 1936 during a time when the world was in the midst of great change. A story about a pacifist bull quickly garnered the attention of many, especially the children who have taken quite a liking to the tale, and definitely defies the normal conventions of first impressions.
Ferdinand is a peaceful creature that really knows how to “stop and smell the roses”. More than ever, the message of the book holds particularly true right now. We, as a society, have forgotten how to pause and slow down. We live in an age where everything is available at our fingertips, yet it is never fast enough of us. Kids these days don’t have the patience or the attention span to sustain their interest for very long. Ferdinand the Bull depicts how to enjoy to simple things in life and appreciate what surrounds us. Who knows when it will be taken away from us at a moment’s notice?
The explanation about bullfighting is not greatly detailed, so younger children will definitely question it in the first place. I can already hear kids asking, “What are the men doing to the bulls?” And if you can answer that one, then the next question will be, “Then why do the other bulls want to be in a bullring?” I know it’s just a story and written in a different place and time, but it’s good to explain more about what really happens in these situations.
Robert Lawson’s illustrations are exquisite. The original pen & ink artwork is magnificently rendered to perfection. I learned to draw using pen & ink so I can really appreciate excellent craftsmanship when I see it, and this is something I truly salivate whenever I look at Lawson’s work. He controls the weight of his lines in ways that makes me feel like my work is inferior. This book has been reprinted many times, some with watercolours over the pen work. As much as the wash enhances the pictures, the original artwork is still the best.
Children will have an easy time reading this. The left side of the book contains the text, and it’s big enough so it isn’t intimidating or overpowering. The right side has the accompanied illustrations.
The story has definitely captured the hearts of many, so much so that Disney made an animated short titled Ferdinand the Bull in 1938.
The Story of Ferdinand is a simple story with a message that will make both children and adults think about how different and unique we all are in a world, where everyone and everything seems to all blend together. Hopefully this book will teach children that it’s okay not to always conform to perceived notions and finding their own unique voice in this world.
Product Details ISBN: 0140502343
Format Paperback, 72pp
Pub. Date: Jun 1977 reprinted
Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group
**This is another contribution to hadassachana and dramastef’s “Fight illiteracy Write-Off”, which can be found here and here. This particular book is also part of a campaign called "Jumpstart's Read for the Record" for the month of September. The special edition version of The Story of Ferdinand is available at any Toys “R” Us, American Eagle Outfitters, and Hanna Andersson stores. All proceeds from these special editions will help Jumpstart support preschoolers in low-income communities. On September 20, 2007, thousands of children and adults will be reading the same book on the same day, hoping to both break the record of this campaign and raise more than $1 million for early education programs in low-income communities. For more information, please visit www.readfortherecord.org. What better way to double dip by purchasing this book to help raise awareness of the national early childhood education crisis and then give it away to help Cindy and Stef’s cause?
Enchanting readers since first published in 1936, "The Story of Ferdinand" is a true classic. While the other bulls run and butt their heads together,...More at HotBookSale
A true classic with a timeless message, this story about a docile bull who would rather smell flowers than engage in the bullfights in Madrid is now p...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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