The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf

The Story of Ferdinand written by American author Munro Leaf is book that is very dear to me because it was the first book I read all by myself.
Plot Summary:

The Story of Ferdinand is the story of a beautiful bull that would rather smell flowers than fight in bullfights. The story deals with flowers, a bullring, a bee, and a case of misidentification. Ferdinand is the biggest bull in all of Madrid but he would rather smell flowers than fight in bullrings in Madrid. Without a care in the world, Ferdinand smells flower after flower until one day, Ferdinand’s problems begin. Your see, On that same day, the bull fighters of Madrid are searching for the meanest bull in the entire town. To Ferdinand’s luck, that very day Ferdinand is stung by a bee. The pain is so great that Ferdinand becomes crazed by the painful sting. When the bullfighters see Ferdinand so enraged, they select him to be the main event at the upcoming bull fight. Once Ferdinand over comes his pain, he becomes peaceful once again and continues to smell the flowers. At the bull ring, Ferdinand disappoints everyone because he chooses to smell the flowers rather than fight. He is sent back to his field of flowers where he continued to smell the sweet smelling scent of the flowers.
Impression about the book:

My impression about The Story of Ferdinand is that it is one and continues to be one of my favorite books. The way Ferdinand felt about flowers is the way I feel about books. I would rather read than anything else. This was not always the case because as a child, it would take me a long time to read a book because English was my second language, and I am moderately dyslexic. Due to my perseverance, I mastered the English language and learned to compensate my dyslexia drawback. I hold The Story of Ferdinand close to my heart because it was my fist conquest as a new reader. This book is a classic and had withstood the test of time.
Reviews / Reviews Excerpts

Susan Fitzgerald reviewed The Story of Ferdinand in Common Sense Media. She writes, “Ferdinand is a bull who would rather smell the flowers than fight. Despite the urgings of an enthusiastic group of banderilleros and picadors, and a hopelessly vain matador, Ferdinand chooses serenity over fierceness. Munro Leaf's timeless stories, coupled with Robert Lawson’s expressive pen-and-ink drawings, have made Ferdinand a true classic.” (retrieved from http://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews/Story-Ferdinand.html)
Suggestions for library use:

Librarians could use this book as a read aloud of as a springboard to discuss different topics such as learning to standing up for what you believe, or choosing other alternatives than fighting, or simply learning about the traditions in Spain, whatever the case, children will continue to enjoy such a wonderful tale.