Munro Leaf
Born: 12-03-1905
Munro Leaf was an American author and illustrator best known for his children's literature. Born in 1905, he gained fame with "The Story of Ferdinand" in 1936, a beloved tale of a gentle bull. Leaf's works often combined humor with educational themes, aiming to entertain while imparting life lessons. His innovative storytelling and distinctive illustrations have left a lasting impact on children's literature.
Book summaries for books written by Munro Leaf
Quotes
I like to sit just quietly and smell the flowers.
His mother saw that he was not lonesome, and because she was an understanding mother, even though she was just a cow, she let him just sit there and be happy.
But Ferdinand just liked to sit in the shade and smell the flowers.
And even when they took him to the bullfighting arena to fight, he still wouldn't fight.
I am Ferdinand and I do not want to fight!
It made the picadors so mad that they cried, 'Toro! Toro!' and pricked him with their lances.
His mother came up to him and stamped her hoof. 'Come away from that nonsense! You must be a good fighting bull and grow up to be fierce and wild!'
But Ferdinand just snorted and tossed his head.
Ferdinand ran to the middle of the ring and everyone shouted and clapped because they thought he was going to fight fiercely and butt and snort and stick his horns around.
But not Ferdinand. When he got to the middle of the ring, he saw the flowers in all the lovely ladies' hair, and he just sat down quietly and smelled.
And Ferdinand was glad to be back in the pasture again, where he could just sit quietly and smell the flowers.
He didn't mind being different from other bulls. Now he knew that he didn't have to be the same as everyone else.