When you think of a children's book about a bull, your brain probably goes straight to one specific image: a massive, muscular beast sitting quietly under a cork tree, sniffing a flower. That’s Ferdinand. He’s been around since 1936, and honestly, it’s wild how much trouble a 700-word story about a peaceful cow managed to cause.
Written by Munro Leaf and illustrated by Robert Lawson, The Story of Ferdinand wasn't just some cute bedtime story. It was a cultural hand grenade. It got banned in Nazi Germany. It was burned by Franco’s supporters in Spain. Why? Because the idea of a bull who refuses to fight was seen as a dangerous political statement. Leaf always claimed he wrote it on a whim one Sunday afternoon to give his friend Lawson something to draw, but the world saw something much deeper.
The Bull Who Refused to Perform
The plot is basically the ultimate "be yourself" narrative. Ferdinand lives in Spain, where all the other bulls are busy butting heads and dreaming of the bullfights in Madrid. They want the glory. They want the noise. Ferdinand just wants the shade of his favorite tree and the scent of wild flowers.
He's big. He's strong. He looks like a fighter.
One day, five men in funny hats show up to pick the fastest, roughest bull for the fights. Ferdinand, being his usual chill self, accidentally sits on a bumblebee. If you've ever been stung by a bee, you know the reaction is immediate and violent. Ferdinand loses it. He puffs out his chest, snorts, and paws the ground in pain. The scouts see this and think, "Aha! This is the fiercest bull in all of Spain!"
They take him to Madrid. The Banderilleros are scared. The Picadores are scared. The Matador is terrified. But when Ferdinand gets into the ring, he sees the flowers in the hair of the lovely ladies in the stands. He just sits down. He won't fight. No matter how much they prod him, he stays put.
It's a masterclass in passive resistance before that was even a mainstream concept in Western literature.
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Why This Children’s Book About a Bull Got Banned
It’s hard to imagine now, but in the late 1930s, Europe was a powder keg. Adolf Hitler called the book "democratic propaganda." He ordered it burned. On the other side of the fence, Joseph Stalin gave it a pass because he thought it promoted a "peace-loving" message, though that's pretty ironic given the history of the USSR.
In Spain, during the Civil War, the book was banned for decades. It was seen as a pacifist attack on the "traditional" Spanish spirit of the bullfight. The fact that a simple children's book about a bull could incite such a visceral reaction from dictators tells you everything you need to know about the power of a quiet protagonist.
Leaf and Lawson were caught in a whirlwind they didn't really intend to start. Leaf was a Harvard-educated guy who mostly wrote instructional books for kids (like Manners Can Be Fun). He wasn't a political revolutionary. He just liked the idea of a character who didn't fit the mold.
The Art That Made Ferdinand a Legend
Robert Lawson’s illustrations are what really seal the deal. They are black and white, incredibly detailed, and surprisingly anatomically correct for a book from that era. Lawson used a technique involving pen and ink on scratchboard, which gives the images a crisp, etched quality.
Look closely at the cork tree Ferdinand sits under. Lawson drew it with actual corks hanging from the branches. It’s a bit of visual humor that kids usually miss but adults find hilarious. It adds a layer of whimsy to a story that otherwise feels quite grounded.
The Matador is also worth a look. He’s drawn with such vanity—preening, arrogant, and eventually reduced to tears when he can’t get his way. Lawson captured the absurdity of the "tough guy" persona long before it was cool to deconstruct masculinity.
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Comparing Ferdinand to Other Bovine Literature
There aren't many books in this niche that hold the same weight. You have things like The Cow Who Climbed a Tree by Gemma Merino or Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin. They are funny, sure. They explore similar themes of breaking expectations. But they don't have that 1930s "Old World" gravity.
Ferdinand feels timeless because it doesn't try to be trendy. There are no pop culture references. No slang. Just a bull, a tree, and a very frustrated man in a cape.
The 2017 Movie and the Modern Legacy
When Blue Sky Studios (the Ice Age people) decided to make a full-length feature film out of a book that takes three minutes to read, people were skeptical. John Cena voiced Ferdinand.
To be fair, they had to add a lot of "fluff" to make it 108 minutes long. They added a goat sidekick, some dancing horses, and a whole subplot about escaping a "bull training" camp. While the movie was a hit and introduced the character to a new generation, it lost some of that quiet dignity the original book had. The book doesn't need a dance-off to prove its point.
Why Kids (and Adults) Still Buy It
We live in a world that is constantly screaming at us to be "the best," to "disrupt," to "hustle." Ferdinand is the patron saint of the introvert. He is the original practitioner of mindfulness.
When you read this children's book about a bull to a child today, you aren't just reading about an animal. You're giving them permission to be quiet. In a school system that often rewards the loudest hand in the air, Ferdinand says it’s okay to just sit and smell the flowers.
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That’s a powerful message for a kid who feels overwhelmed by the "bulls" in their own lives.
Real-World Influence and Nuance
Interestingly, the book has been used in child psychology for years. It’s often cited in discussions about non-conformity and emotional intelligence. Psychologists point to Ferdinand's mother as a key figure. She’s an "understanding" mother. Even though she’s a cow and doesn't quite get why her son doesn't want to play like the other calves, she lets him be. She doesn't force him into the ring.
However, there is a critique. Some argue that Ferdinand's "peace" is only possible because he is so big and strong that no one can actually make him do anything. If he were a small, weak bull, the story might have a much darker ending. It’s a fair point. Ferdinand’s power gives him the agency to choose peace.
Actionable Steps for Parents and Collectors
If you're looking to bring Ferdinand into your home or library, here's the best way to do it:
- Seek out the 60th Anniversary Edition. It often includes more background on Leaf and Lawson's collaboration and higher-quality reproductions of the original ink drawings.
- Don't skip the "About the Author" section. Understanding that this was written in 1936 during the rise of global fascism makes the reading experience much more profound for adults.
- Use it as a conversation starter. Instead of just closing the book, ask a child: "What is your 'cork tree'?" or "Have you ever felt like you had to act tough when you didn't want to?"
- Look for the Disney Short. The 1938 Disney animated short won an Oscar. It's only eight minutes long and stays much truer to the book's vibe than the 2017 feature film. It’s available on most streaming platforms and is a great visual companion.
Ferdinand isn't just a book. It’s a philosophy. It’s about the strength it takes to be still when the whole world is shouting for a fight. Whether you're three or eighty-three, there's something genuinely radical about a bull who just wants to smell the flowers.
The story remains a staple because the "bullring" of life hasn't changed much—we just wear different hats now.