Kinder Book Club: The Story of Ferdinand
“A long time ago in Spain…”
From these very first words, Munro Leaf’s The Story of Ferdinand sets a mood, in partnership with Richard Lawson’s uniquely sparse and endearing illustrations. No matter how wound up my children are, the calm and meditative mood of this 1936 classic envelopes them immediately.
By the time I reach the second page, with the rhythmic words, “and his name was” both girls murmur “Ferdinand” right along with me. They don’t shout it, the way preschoolers are wont to do. They nearly whisper, every time.
This is a book well worth tracking down at the local library. This is a book worth owning!
Ferdinand offers an essential demonstration of living a mindful, independent, and peaceful life. Though he happens to be a bull, he doesn’t enjoy sticking his horns around and butting heads with all of the other bulls. He would much rather sit quietly under his favorite cork tree and smell the flowers.
When his energetic reaction to a bee sting lands him ironically at the bull fights in Madrid, he still refuses to fight. Instead, he sits right down to smell the flowers in all the lovely ladies hair.
This is a story of peace and of acceptance, and it lends itself to a few pithy discussion questions.
- Was Ferdinand the same as all the other bulls, or different?
- Do you think it was always easy for him to be different from the other bulls?
- How do you think he felt while he sat under his favorite cork tree and smelled the flowers?
- How do you think he felt when they put him in a cart for the bull fight in Madrid?
- Is there something you like to do by yourself? How does it make you feel?
Have you shared this book with the kids in your life? How have they reacted?
Tags: Children's Books
