As the other bulls prance and preen, hoping to be selected, Ferdinand ignores the commotion. When the bulls all mature, they long to be selected for the bullring.all but Ferdinand. But Ferdinand prefers to quietly sit in the pasture and enjoy his surroundings.

All day long the young bulls play at fighting in hopes that one day they will be strong enough to be chosen for the bullfights. All bulls in Spain aspire to one day fight in the ring with a matador. Set in Spain, it is about a young bull named Ferdinand. So what will happen when our pacifist hero is picked for the bullfights in Madrid? This new edition contains the complete original text of the story and the original illustrations with watercolor tones added.Children's LiteratureFirst published in 1936, this reissue has been updated by adding watercolors to its previously black-and-white illustrations. But Ferdinand would rather sit and smell the flowers. All the other bulls would run and jump and butt their heads together. The Story of Ferdinand closes with one of the happiest endings in the history of happy endings–readers of all ages will drift off to a peaceful sleep, dreaming of sweet-smelling flowers and contented cows.A true classic with a timeless message, The Story of Ferdinand has enchanted readers since it was first published in 1936. Robert Lawson’s black-and-white drawings are evocative and detailed, with especially sweet renditions of Ferdinand, the serene bull hero. In a show of bovine irony, the one day Ferdinand is most definitely not sitting quietly under the cork tree (due to a frightful sting), is the selfsame day that five men come to choose the “biggest, fastest, roughest bull” for the bullfights in Madrid.įerdinand’s day in the arena gives readers not only an education in the historical tradition of bullfighting, but also a lesson in nonviolent tranquility.

As Ferdinand grows big and strong, his temperament remains mellow, until the day he meets with the wrong end of a bee. This cow is no coward–he simply has his pacifist priorities clear. Ferdinand is a little bull who much prefers sitting quietly under a cork tree– just smelling the flowers–to jumping around, snorting, and butting heads with other bulls. What else can be said about the fabulous Ferdinand? Published more than 50 years ago (and one of the bestselling children’s books of all time), this simple story of peace and contentment has withstood the test of many generations. Author: Munro Leaf and Illustrated by Robert Lawson

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