Born on December 4, 1905, Leaf graduated from the University of Maryland in 1927. One Sunday afternoon in 1935, as a favor to his friend, struggling illustrator Robert Lawson, he sat down to write a children’s book. One hour later he had completed the text for The Story of Ferdinand. This timeless classic tells the tale of Ferdinand, a bull bred for the bullfighting ring, but who instead prefers to smell the flowers in the pasture. This charming book encourages peace over agression, and gently underscores that it’s okay to be different. Since Leaf’s death in 1976, The Story of Ferdinand has been translated into more than 60 languages and continues to delight readers all over the world.
