book data
1135 ratings, 4.63 average rating, 171 reviews
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published
2000
(first published 1936)
by Grosset & Dunlap
binding
Paperback, 32 pages
setting
Unknown
literary awards
Named one of Reading Rainbow's 101 Best Children's Books
isbn
0448421909
(isbn13: 9780448421902)
description
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), th...more
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 1297)
This is, without a doubt, my absolute FAVORITE book from childhood. I remember my mother reading this to me as a small child, and having to fight back the tears, the story touched me so deeply. I found significance in the extreme simplicity of the words and illustrations. I was impressed with Ferdinand's gentle, yet strong, nature. He stood firm against the strongest pressures and remained constant. I like to analyze this book on many levels. On a side note (and dork moment): my husband ho...more
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I had an autographed first edition of this my grandmother gave me. It was part of my original childhood library along with Edith Hamilton's Mythology and the Arthur Rackham illustrated Lambs Tales From Shakespeare & A Child's Garden of Verses. Except for the Edith Hamilton they went up in a wild fire in our canyon. (sigh)
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I will only put my five-star picture books on here, as the task of logging picture books would be too grand, otherwise.
My first year of teaching I read this to the class and we acted it out and they loved it. One of my students was extremely timid and at recess he always just stood right next to me and watched all of the other kids play. He loved this book immediately--I think he was introspective enough to know a relatable character when he saw one.
My first year of teaching I read this to the class and we acted it out and they loved it. One of my students was extremely timid and at recess he always just stood right next to me and watched all of the other kids play. He loved this book immediately--I think he was introspective enough to know a relatable character when he saw one.
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Joe was lukewarm about this story, as was I. It had a cute anti-sexist message and the book could be construed as an anti-bullfighting message if you dig deep enough and comment on the text while you read it.
Basic story: a bull likes to sit and smell the flowers. Through a random incident, he's picked for a bull fight and, instead of fighting, he sits and smells the flowers in the audiences' hair. Cute.
Basic story: a bull likes to sit and smell the flowers. Through a random incident, he's picked for a bull fight and, instead of fighting, he sits and smells the flowers in the audiences' hair. Cute.
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Another of my childhood favorites. I LOVED this story. Imagine my surprise when, 20something years later, after being married to my husband for over a year he brings some of his childhood things home from his parent's house. His favorite book as a child-Ferdinand. I went to my Mom's house and got my copy out of a box and now we have both red battered copies next to each other on the bookshelf.
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Read in April, 1977
recommends it for:
everyone with a soul
the best book of all time, the inspiration for my life, brings me joy beyond belief. when am i not reading this book? when i am thinking about its impact on my childhood, my teen years, and carrying me through my adult years. at this stage in the game, i too, just want to get back to my cork tree. now, if only i could find it...
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One of my favorite stories about a bull who's a lover, not a fighter. Fantastic black and white illustrations. Jude always worries about that poor bee that Ferdinand sits on.
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recommends it for:
Anyone With a Heart...
One of my all-time favorites from childhood, "The Story of Ferdinand" was a book that I read again and again. Munro Leaf's narrative about a bull who would rather sit still and smell the flowers than fight in the bull-ring (and given the inevitable outcome, who could blame him?), has the perfect blend of gentle humor and wisdom.
Take, for instance, the author's description of Ferdinand's mother, who is described as "an understanding mother, even though she was a cow." I c...more
Take, for instance, the author's description of Ferdinand's mother, who is described as "an understanding mother, even though she was a cow." I c...more
A story that my dad told us all the time when we were little, but I never actually read the book till I was an adult. Always a tender spot in my heart for it because of my dad.
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همه ی هم سن و سالهای فردیناند می پریدند به هم و مدام با هم می جنگیدند.آنها دلشان می خواست گاو میدان گاوبازی باشند،اما فردیناند دلش می خواست زیر همان درخت بنشیند و گل بو کند...
مردم همه دست می زدند ، هورا می کشیدند منتظر جنگ بودند...
اما فردیناند که جنگی نبود.وقتی میان میدان رسید،...more
مردم همه دست می زدند ، هورا می کشیدند منتظر جنگ بودند...
اما فردیناند که جنگی نبود.وقتی میان میدان رسید،...more
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WAY ahead of his time, Leaf's story of a bull who loves to smell roses tears down rigid gender roles for children.
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I would give this book more than five stars if I could. A favorite from my childhood ever since my sister received this book (and a matching t-shirt of the book's cover!) for a birthday or Christmas present. A great book for discussing with children how appearances can be deceiving and the importance of relaxing and "taking time to smell the flowers" as Ferdinand SO loves to do. The late musician, Elliott Smith, had a Ferdinand tattoo on his upper arm and at a local bar here in Athens,...more
Can be used for grades levels 1-4. Can be used to teach alike and different. This book is about a bull by the name of Ferdinand, who was nice and friendly and attended to himself. He would sit quietly under a tree and smell the flowers. But one day he sat under a tree and was stinged by a bee. He started running and puffing, snorting and gnawing at the ground. And he was picked to fight in a bull fight in which he didn't care about. Ferdinand attended the fight but didn't do anything except...more
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Read in December, 1982
It's ok to be different, but people might shoot at you
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recommends it for:
3 to 7 year olds
This is a story about a bull who prefers to smell the flowers rather than butt heads with the other bulls. When he accidentally sits on a bee, his wild reaction lans him in the bull fighting arena where he proves that he can remain true to himself under all circumstances. I believe this was made into a Merry Melodies video (Disney), but I could be wrong. THe illustrations are beautiful, large type is great for toddlers, and the moral is a wonderful reminder that we are all diverse and beautif...more
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recommended to Misti by:
my friend jasmin talked about it and made me love it all over ag
recommends it for: anyone. older kiddos.
recommends it for: anyone. older kiddos.
a great book to give to your taurus friends on their birthday. or just your pacifist friends. the illustrations are beautiful-- i love ferdinand under the big old tree and the pretty ladies with flowers in their hair. good stuff.
it does gives a rosy glow to the art of bullfighting, which I don't condone as a sport but, it is a book for kiddos so geting into the politics, history and intricacies of bull fighting is better left for another book.
ferdinand is one of my favorite literary ch...more
it does gives a rosy glow to the art of bullfighting, which I don't condone as a sport but, it is a book for kiddos so geting into the politics, history and intricacies of bull fighting is better left for another book.
ferdinand is one of my favorite literary ch...more
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Read in August, 2008
ferdinand, the ultimate pacifist. a bull who will not fight is stung by a bee when the scouts from madrid visit. for his strength, he is taken away from his pasture but returned when he will not engage the matador, but instead simply smells the ladies' flowers as he sits motionless in the middle of the bull ring. while the black and white pictures do not make a group read-a-loud,this makes a good lap book for preschoolers.
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Another book from my childhood... and my boys loved it! Of course they love bulls, one of their favorite games to play is "buck-n-bulls" they each have their riding names (Little Yellow Jacket and Freckles). Yes, they were introduced to the world of PBR by their nanna Myrlee (much to my chagrin... ) So, hopefully introducing Ferdinand they might decide to sit and smell the flowers more often than not. In my dreams, right?
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