While The Story of Ferdinand is set in Spain, the book’s author, Munro Leaf, was American. He chose the setting simply because he had never seen a picture book about bull fighting.
Unfortunately, civil war broke out in Spain in 1936 - the same year that Ferdinand was published. This war lasted three years and resulted in a military takeover of the country.
World War II also began not long after the book’s publication, in 1939. Germany was a major aggressor in this war.
With war raging all over the world, many grown-ups saw quiet, peaceful Ferdinand as a symbol of Pacifism.
The book was banned in Spain for over 30 years following the Spanish Civil War.
In Nazi Germany, the book was burned as ‘degenerate propaganda’ along with countless other books and works of art.
When World War II ended, the British Air Transport Auxiliary used the phrase ‘Ferdinand the Bull’ as their call sign, to signal to European air controllers that they came in peace.
30,000 copies of the The Story of Ferdinand were distributed throughout Germany immediately after the war.
In America, the book was interpreted by some as communist propaganda - but beloved by many others, including President Roosevelt who requested an official copy for the White House.
Stalin granted the book special status as the only non-communist children’s book allowed in Poland.
