The Story of Ferdinand (Reading Railroad Books)

The Story of Ferdinand (Reading Railroad Books) Review

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I had not heard of this book until Blindside came out. This is the book Mrs. Tuohy (Bullock)reads to Mike. It describes Mike's character in comparison to Ferdinand's. I loved this book, because I have a daughter that reminds me of Ferdinand, also. Ferdinand is different from all the other bulls he grows up with. He is thoughtful and prone to sit quietly and smell the flowers under a cork tree. His mother is worried he doesn't get more involved with the other bulls in running, jumping and butting heads. But he is content to just sit in the shade and smell the flowers. Which is not a bad thing. In the end, when he is expected to fight in a bull fight, he decides it's not his thing and just sits and does nothing, but smell the flowers in the ladies' hair. He is taken back home to the country which makes him very happy. The audio recording on CD that came with this book is perfectly narrated. The narrator has an authentic Spanish accent and speaks with animation. The illustrations are black and white, but are very detailed and leaves much to the reader's imagination. It's a long story, so get ready to cuddle up with your child to read this classic tale of "The Story of Ferdinand".

The Story of Ferdinand (Reading Railroad Books) Feature

• ISBN13: 9780448421902
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.

The Story of Ferdinand (Reading Railroad Books) Overview

A true classic with a timeless message, The Story of Ferdinand has enchanted readers since it was first published in 1936. All the other bulls would run and jump and butt their heads together. But Ferdinand would rather sit and smell the flowers. 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.

The Story of Ferdinand (Reading Railroad Books) Specifications

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. 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. This cow is no coward--he simply has his pacifist priorities clear. As Ferdinand grows big and strong, his temperament remains mellow, until the day he meets with the wrong end of a bee. 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.

Ferdinand's day in the arena gives readers not only an education in the historical tradition of bullfighting, but also a lesson in nonviolent tranquility. Robert Lawson's black-and-white drawings are evocative and detailed, with especially sweet renditions of Ferdinand, the serene bull hero. 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.