Picture books may come and go, but The Story of Ferdinand—a tale about a little bull who prefers to sit under a cork tree smelling flowers rather than butt heads with other bulls—is still one of the most beloved stories for kids and adults. Why has this 72-year-old story of peace and contentment by Munro Leaf and Robert Lawson been so successful and controversial? Sharon McQueen, a children's librarian and doctoral candidate at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, School of Library and Information Studies, is determined to find out in her dissertation: "The Story of the Story of Ferdinand: The Creation of a Cultural Icon." McQueen recently received the Jesse H. Shera Award for the Support of Dissertation Research. 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 scholars have often referred to Ferdinand as a "political text." The 2005 first edition of The Norton Anthology of Children's Literature states that Ferdinand is "possibly the most famous example of the picture book as political text" and goes on to state that "Ferdinand was written during the Spanish Civil War." In the journal, Children & Libraries, a professor of English states, "Leaf's book about the bull who refused to fight was prompted by the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War." In fact, Munro Leaf wrote the story in October of 1935. The Spanish Civil War broke roughly nine months later, in July of 1936, and The Story of Ferdinand was published in September of 1936. It was clearly not written during the Spanish Civil War, and it was not prompted by its outbreak. The author and illustrator—as well as their wives and children—have always denied that the book had any political origins or intentions. Why was it banned in some countries if it was seen as a pacifist book? As World War II was heating up, and many countries were either engaged in warfare or preparing for war, a book that sends a message of nonviolence is not always considered desirable. In the United States, it was seen by some as being detrimental to the war effort. In Germany, it was viewed as U.S. democratic propaganda. Some countries saw it not only as dangerously anti-war, but as an indictment of their aggression. In Spain it was seen as anti-Franco. In fact, the book was not published in Spain until as late as 1978, after Francisco Franco's death in 1975. How did Munro Leaf come up with the story? Margaret and Munro Leaf had been friends with Robert and Marie Lawson for about two years. Lawson had illustrated a few children's books but complained of having to conform to the ideas of others. Leaf sat down to write a story specifically for Lawson, so that Lawson could "cut loose and have some fun." The lore is that the story was written in less than 40 minutes one rainy Sunday afternoon. The book has never been out of print. Why has it endured so long? Whether it was the creator's intention or not, The Story of Ferdinand is considered to contain anti-violence and/or anti-war messages. In fact, Ferdinand came to symbolize peace and passivity to such an extent that I am now using the field of Semiotics (the study of symbols and signs) to look at Ferdinand as a cultural icon. When people see a bull with a flower, they automatically think "Ferdinand," if they're familiar with the story. In turn, they often think of gentleness and/or peace. I've even located a few political cartoons that make use of Ferdinand as a symbol. So, even though it's unlikely the book's creators intended it, The Story of Ferdinand really is the first subversive children's picture book of the modern era. Do you think the book has the same impact today? Yes and no. Although the book is not nearly as well known now as it was in the 1930s and 40s, and the character of Ferdinand is certainly not as popular as he was at the peak of "the Ferdinand frenzy," he can still be found making new appearances in today's culture. A few years ago an exhibition of international picture books for peace and tolerance toured the world with 50 titles from 20 countries, The Story of Ferdinand prominently among them. For the past two years a very bad musical adaptation has been performed at various children's theaters across the United States and Hudson Vagabond Puppets has recently staged a version of the story as well. The punk band Fall Out Boy named their 2005 album From Under the Cork Tree and singer-songwriter and musician, Elliot Smith, had Ferdinand tattooed prominently on his arm. Last year, Jumpstart's Read for the Record national reading event selected The Story of Ferdinand as the one title read by over 2 50,000 people on the same day. So Ferdinand is most definitely alive and well. As Munro Leaf used to say, "A little bit of bull goes a long way!"