Spend a peaceful afternoon in the fields, enjoying the beautiful flowers and warm sunshine. Gentle cow and cork trees included!
We read The Story of Ferdinand, written by by Munro Leaf, and illustrated Robert Lawson (Viking, 1936). This literary classic tells the tale of Ferdinand, a bull who would rather sit and smell the flowers than fuss and fight. When he is mistakenly put in the bull ring, Ferdinand stays true to his peaceful nature and refuses to charge. It’s the ultimate tale of staying true to yourself and being happier for it.
You’ll need:
- 1 large tissue box
- 1 flower coloring template, printed on 8.5″ x 11″ card stock
- Construction paper
- Assorted pipe cleaners
- Scissors and tape for construction
- Markers for decorating
This project is basically an alternative version of the flower boxes we made for this butterfly garden story time. We just used large tissue boxes instead of box tops.
In additional to using the flowers on the template, you can also use tissue paper to make lovely flowers, and use drinking straws and sparkle stems to add some texture!
Once the flowers were done, we headed out to the fields to meet Ferdinand the bull! I made him out of a couple shipping boxes. The back of the head was open so I could reach in, and I also cut a hole at the bottom of the head as a “mouth.” During story time, the kids offered their flowers to Ferdinand for sniffing. I had a little air pump inside the head that would puff air out and make the flowers tremble.
I have to say, the air puffs freaked a few kids out. But we also had a basket of red pom pom apples nearby to feed Ferdinand, and that was a massively popular activity. He ate apples for a solid 15 minutes!
This this isn’t the first time Ferdinand has appeared on the blog. You can see him enjoying the spring buds here (as well as a really cool wildflower identification website), and he gets a mention in our International Children’s Book Day list here. We love you Ferdinand!
Over the years, Jenn’s business has grown exponentially, culminating in a fantastic bakery that also serves delicious breakfasts. And now…she’s a children’s author! It took absolutely no convincing for me to photograph her happy busy eatery, and chat with her about this heartwarming story of baking and family.
Hi Jenn! Tell us a little about yourself!
“The art is gorgeous, the book is inclusive, and it’s a great introduction to graphic novels. Plus, the tea dragons are adorable.”
“I still quote this book: ‘You get what you get and you don’t get upset.’”
“It illustrates the process of self-discovery.”
“It is a story about not caring what others think or conforming to the role society has written for you. With hard work, persistence and creativity, you can make anything happen – like surrounding yourself with nature, even in the middle of the city.”
“Her house is upside-down! She’s essentially the neighborhood witch, and I love how all the kids’ commonplace problems manifest in reality.”
“Adventures of a worker bee who likes to eat pollen, make sweets, and organize her honey pots.”
“It opens up a good discussion about where our food comes from.”
Darlene Dreyer – Assistant to the Associate University Librarian
“I read it as an adult and was very moved by it. The description of the family and beautiful young friendship, and the more than devastating ending.”
“I love the details in illustrations, and as a young parent I could totally understand Petson’s life with a naughty kitten. I read it in Russian countless times, and it was translated to many languages (English title: Pancakes for Findus).”
“Besides beings a nice story for children who love animals, I appreciate that it was an early exposure to thinking about ethics in scientific research. It also provided considerate thoughts about the nature of prejudice and touched on environmentalism, so not merely the endearing tale of a motherly mouse seeking to save her sick child from the spring plow, but that was also a lovely aspect of the story.”
Berta Harvey – Library Collections Specialist V, Lewis Science Library
“My children found it so engaging when they were toddlers. It has very expressive pictures and it’s fun to read.”
“A book of stories and poems, mostly whimsical, always thoughtful, and sometimes melancholical.”
“ALL of Freeman’s picture books are beautiful!”
“It was the first time I’d seen my own love for books and fantasy stories reflected back in a book.”
“This is a wonderful story about how love and care impact the ways living beings interact with the world – all wrapped up in an adorable story about a family trying to adopt fearsome watchdogs only for each dog to become more of a marshmallow than the last.”
“The illustrations are rich; my son and I see something new each time we read it. It’s also a wonderful story about how even the most contentious relationships can be healed!”
“My favorite story to read to my kids when they were young.”
“Timeless triumph of peace and gentleness over stupidity and aggression. And the cork trees!”
I wanted a horse so so so soooo very bad growing up. Wished for it, dreamed of it, waited for it. It took a couple decades, but my horse FINALLY arrived! My heart runneth over…