♦Welcome to another edition of the Open Book Blog Hop!♦
Topic #206
What is your favorite childhood book?
Welcome back to another edition of the Open Book Blog Hop! The authors included in this ongoing series wish to thank you for your reads. We appreciate, even more so, when you share our writings with your friends. If you’re new to the series, welcome aboard. The authors engage and impress weekly. Prepare to become a regular reader.
Oh! This makes me super excited. With the arrival of Disney+, I’ve been reminded of the only adaptation of my favorite childhood book that was successfully made. And, it was a short film, too! The recent feature, I haven’t watched, because what I did see about it left me sour.
So what is this favorite childhood book, you ask? It is Munro Leaf‘s Ferdinand the Bull. The book was illustrated by the accomplished Robert Lawson. Disney retained the cover art and illustration style of the book when rendering their short film based on the work. The glorious line art of the book was dressed with brilliant color and a delightful humor.
If you’re not familiar with the book, you can find it at the link above. You can also look for the video on Disney+ or a copy on YouTube. I highly recommend it. But, please keep in mind that it was created at a time when racist tropes about cultures and ethnicities were acceptable. The message I prized as a child was wrapped in Ferdinand.
Ferdinand is a passive soul, more desiring of peace. His nature is symbolized by the flowers he loves. This gentle soul is swept into human violence one day, when a bee he inadvertently sits upon stings him. Do you remember being stung? It hurts, and you probably shouted. Well, Ferdinand panics and throws himself about the pasture, gaining the attention of men looking for a bull to bring to the rings in Madrid.
The message is one of pacifism. Peace will trump violence, and it is in peace that we will find out greatest happiness.
This message and the care and kindness toward animals is what drew me to this story. I cared very much that Ferdinand survive the ring. I felt terrible that he was torn from his home to become the entertainment for human bloodlust. All he ever wanted was to sit beneath his cork tree and sniff the flowers.
Check out the favorite childhood book of each author in this hop by clicking on their links below.
