Why is The Story of Ferdinand both successful and controversial?
Everyone’s got their own opinion, their own take. I think that’s why the book was controversial—due to these various interpretations and the fact that it happened to be published, and successful, during a period of widespread conflict. The book was successful because a high percentage of readers strongly identify with Ferdinand. They see him the way the author did, as an individual choosing his own path. As Munro Leaf himself said, it’s “a happy-ending story about being yourself.” Also, it’s funny, darn it! The book was released at the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War. Was this coincidental or did Leaf and Lawson have a political agenda? Oh, coincidental. I have little doubt. I think the notion that the book was written as some sort of reaction to the Spanish Civil War was an assumption that was so oft repeated as to now be considered fact. I’ve been to 12 archival sites in six states and Canada and I have yet to find any evidence that supports the notion. Yet children’s literature sc
