Book: The Story of Ferdinand
Author: Munro Leaf
Age Recommendation: 4-8
Book Synopsis: The Story of Ferdinand was written over 50 years ago and it still delights children and adults today. Many parents are already familiar with the story and want to share it with their children. Ferdinand is a bull who is unlike other bulls who like to practice fighting and dream of being in the bull fights in Madrid. Ferdinand simply wants to sit under a cork tree and smell the flowers. He is quite content until one day he finds himself in the middle of a bull fight in Madrid. Does Ferdinand fight? Ferdinand prefers the smell of flowers and quiet days over the excitement of the arena.
Activities:
Geography: The story takes place in Madrid, Spain. Familiarize your child with a map of the world or a globe. Show your child where Spain is on the map and then have the child pick out the country and the city. Look up the Spain’s flag, size of country and population. You may want to introduce your child to some Spanish words and food.
Nature Study: Ferdinand loves to sit under a cork tree and smell the flowers. Check out a book from the library or use the internet to explore flowers. Visit a garden or the garden area of a home improvement store to show your children flowers in person and hopefully smell some and decide which they like the best. You can press your favorite flowers in a book or press them in between clear contact paper to make a fun bookmark. Once you conclude your study of flowers move onto cork trees. Children love to learn about this interesting tree. Study the size, the cork and location of where the tree grows.
Ferdinand is an adorable bull with a cute story to tell.