The Story of Ferdinand facts for kids
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| Author | Munro Leaf |
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| Cover artist | Robert Lawson |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's literature |
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Publication date
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1936 |
| Media type | Print (hardcover and paperback) |
The Story of Ferdinand is a famous children's book written by American author Munro Leaf. It was first published in 1936. The book has beautiful pictures drawn by Robert Lawson. It tells the sweet story of a bull named Ferdinand. Unlike other bulls, Ferdinand loves to smell flowers more than he likes to fight. He becomes famous for his gentle nature.
Contents
The Story of Ferdinand
Ferdinand's Peaceful Life
Young Ferdinand is a bull who doesn't like to butt heads with other young bulls. Instead, he prefers to sit quietly under a cork tree. His favorite thing to do is smell the lovely flowers. His mother worries he might be lonely. She tries to get him to play with the other calves. But when she sees how happy he is just sitting there, she lets him be.
An Unexpected Trip to Madrid
Ferdinand grows up to be the biggest bull in the herd. He still enjoys spending time by himself. One day, five men come to the pasture. They are looking for the strongest bull to take to Madrid for a bullfight. All the other bulls dream of being chosen. They show off how strong and fierce they are.
Ferdinand, however, is busy smelling flowers. He accidentally sits on a bumblebee! The bee stings him, and Ferdinand jumps up in surprise. He runs wildly around the field, snorting and stomping. The men see him acting so wild. They think he is a very fierce and angry bull. So, they choose him and rename him "Ferdinand the Fierce." They take him all the way to Madrid.
The Big Bullfight
Everyone in Madrid is excited to see "Ferdinand the Fierce" fight. Many ladies with beautiful flowers in their hair come to watch. When Ferdinand enters the bull ring, he sees a matador holding a red flag. But Ferdinand isn't interested in fighting. He notices the pretty flowers in the ladies' hair. He is so delighted by them that he simply sits down in the middle of the ring. He just wants to enjoy the smell of the flowers.
This makes everyone in the bull ring upset and disappointed. The matador tries to make him fight. But Ferdinand refuses to move. In the end, Ferdinand is taken back to his peaceful pasture. To this day, he still sits happily under his favorite cork tree, smelling flowers.
How the Book Became Famous
Early Sales and Popularity
The book was first released by Viking Press in 1936. It sold 14,000 copies in its first year. Each copy cost $1. The next year, sales jumped to 68,000 copies. By 1938, the book was selling 3,000 copies every week. That year, it even sold more copies than the very popular book Gone with the Wind. This made The Story of Ferdinand the number one best-seller in the United States.
Translations and Lasting Success
Since it was first published, the book has never stopped being printed. This means you can still buy a copy today! It has been translated into more than sixty different languages. In 1962, a Latin version called Ferdinandus Taurus was even published. A very old first-edition copy of the book was sold at an auction for $16,500 in 2014.
The Story Behind the Book
How the Book Was Created
The author, Munro Leaf, reportedly wrote the story very quickly. He wrote it in just one afternoon in 1935. He mainly wanted to help his friend, Robert Lawson, who was an illustrator. Leaf wanted to give Lawson a chance to show off his amazing drawing skills.
Real Places in the Story
The places Lawson drew in the book are mostly real. Lawson carefully drew the city of Ronda in Andalusia, Spain. You can see the famous Puente Nuevo (New Bridge) over the El Tajo canyon in his pictures. This is shown when Ferdinand is taken to Madrid. Ronda is also home to Spain's oldest bullfighting ring that is still used. This might be why Lawson chose to draw its surroundings. Lawson also added some fun, whimsical touches. For example, he drew bunches of corks growing on the cork tree like fruit.
A Real-Life Inspiration
There's a story that Ferdinand's tale might be based on a real bull. In the early 1930s, a peaceful bull named Civilón lived on a farm near Salamanca, Spain. People in Spain campaigned to save Civilón from having to fight in a bullring. He was even pardoned during a fight. However, the Spanish Civil War started soon after, and he sadly did not live to return home.
Ferdinand's Lasting Impact
A Code Name in World War II
During World War II, the Australian Coastwatchers used "Ferdinand" as their secret code name. These coastwatchers were people who watched for enemy ships and planes. Their commander, Eric Feldt, chose the name Ferdinand. He wanted to remind them that their job was not to fight. Instead, they were supposed to stay hidden and gather information. But, like Ferdinand, they could fight if they were "stung" or attacked.
Awards and Movies
In 1938, when the book was a best-seller, a short animated film was made based on it. This film won an Academy Award for Best Short Subject. Many years later, in 2017, a full-length animated movie about Ferdinand was released by 20th Century Fox.
Audio and Film Versions
Audio Recordings
The Story of Ferdinand has been turned into audio recordings many times. In 1951, Capitol Records released an album with the story. It had music and was narrated by Don Wilson. Later, in 1967, Scholastic Records released another audio version. In 1971, Gwen Verdon narrated the story for Caedmon Records.
Animated Films
The story was first made into a short animated film by Walt Disney in 1938. It was called Ferdinand the Bull. This film won an Academy Award for Best Short Subject (Cartoons).
Later, a full-length computer-animated movie called Ferdinand was released on December 15, 2017. It was made by 20th Century Fox Animation and Blue Sky Studios. This movie was even nominated for Best Animated Film at the 90th Academy Awards.
See also
In Spanish: El cuento de Ferdinando para niños
