Ferdinand (2017): The Animated Adventure That Connects Identity and Courage to Book-to-Screen Storytelling

The story is accessible and funny, and the central premise lands clearly: a big bull who loves flowers more than fighting, stuck in a world that has already decided what he should be. But the movie earns more than just laughs. As Ferdinand moves between the ranch where he grew up, the flower farm where he found belonging, and the bullfighting ring he never wanted to enter, the story builds a genuinely moving case for staying true to yourself when everything around you is telling you not to.

The movie is based on Munro Leaf's 1936 picture book, which gives teachers a ready-made connection for classes who have read or are reading the source text. The adaptation expands considerably on the original, adding a cast of misfit animals, a road-trip escape sequence, and more fully developed relationships, while keeping the book's core message intact. That comparison makes for rich discussion in its own right.

For ELA and lower-secondary classrooms, Ferdinand offers a story with clear character arcs, a strong emotional through-line, and themes that connect to writing, identity, and personal reflection.

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🌸 A protagonist built around a single, clear principle. Ferdinand does not want to fight. That commitment is tested constantly, and the story is honest about the cost of holding to it. Students who struggle with peer pressure or feeling out of place in a group often find something they recognise in him.

📖 A well-known book brought to life with real faithfulness. Munro Leaf's 1936 picture book is one of the most widely read children's stories of the twentieth century. The movie keeps the heart of the original intact while expanding the world around it, making it a useful text for classes exploring how stories change between page and screen.

🇪🇸 A specific setting that adds texture to the story. Ferdinand is set in Spain, and the bullfighting tradition is not just backdrop. It is the conflict at the centre of the movie. The sport and the controversy surrounding it are handled in a way that is accessible to younger students while raising real questions about tradition, glory, and what we ask animals to do for entertainment.

😄 A strong supporting cast that keeps the energy up. The trio of hedgehogs, the calming goat Lupe, and the snobbish dancing horses give the movie a lot of its comedy. The humour is broad enough to land with younger students without undercutting the more serious moments.

💪 A story about courage that does not rely on fighting. Ferdinand's most courageous moments are the ones where he refuses to be something he is not. The movie makes a clear-eyed argument that strength and gentleness are not opposites, which gives it something worth discussing well beyond the classroom.

⚠️ Things to be aware of:

• Mild peril and some potentially upsetting scenes: Ferdinand is slashed with a spear during a bullfighting sequence; a tense rescue scene takes place in a meat-processing facility with dangerous machinery and near-misses. A young Ferdinand searches for his father after a bullfight and realises he is not coming back; this scene may upset younger or more sensitive students.
• Mild action: Ferdinand charges a bullfighter and sends him flying, and knocks people over in crowd scenes. No blood; characters are unharmed.
• Language: no cursing, but Ferdinand and other non-aggressive bulls are called names including 'flower boy', 'soft', 'puny', 'loser', and 'dork'. Mild crude humour, including a joke about bulls 'fertilising the lawn'.
• Very mild innuendo: a supporting character makes one or two admiring remarks about a male character's physique.
• No sexual content, no substance use.

📚 English Language Arts Teachers. Ferdinand is a good fit for ELA classes working on character, personal narrative, or book-to-movie comparison. The guide covers a range of writing objectives, from comprehension and sequencing through to creative and reflective writing tasks, with differentiated question sets for mixed-ability classes.

🗣️ ESL and ELL Teachers. The guide includes 30 multiple-choice comprehension questions with three options each, designed with accessibility in mind for ESL and ELL students. Answer keys are included for both the multiple-choice and full-sentence question sets.

🎬 Substitute Teachers and Cover Lessons. The guide is structured across three clearly labelled parts with answer keys included for the comprehension questions. It works well as a self-contained sub plan with no prior setup required.

🏠 Homeschool Parents. Ferdinand is a warm and accessible choice for home learners, with a story that sparks good conversation about identity, courage, and belonging. The three-part guide provides a mix of comprehension, narrative, and creative writing tasks that can be worked through across a session or spread over several days.

💙 SEL Teachers. Ferdinand is a natural fit for SEL work: the story centres on identity, self-acceptance, resisting peer pressure, and the courage to stay true to your values when others expect something different from you. The emotion reflection task in Part 3 directly asks students to identify their own emotional responses to the movie. The guide does not include dedicated SEL activities beyond this, but the comprehension questions give students a structured framework for engaging with the movie's themes throughout the viewing.

🌟 Supporting All Learners Movie guides can be a wonderfully calm fit for students with autism, learning difficulties, and mild to severe disabilities. The structured format gives every student a clear purpose during viewing, easing uncertainty and allowing them to engage at their own pace. If you teach in a special education or learning support setting, you may find this guide a gentle and practical resource. Find out more about why movies work for diverse learners.

Part 1. Comprehension Questions
Two differentiated question sets covering the full movie in chronological order: 30 questions requiring full sentence answers, and 30 multiple-choice questions with three options each. Answer keys are included for both sets.

Part 2. Storyboard and Synopsis
A 9-scene storyboard in which students illustrate and summarise key events in chronological order. Students then use their completed storyboard as a scaffold to write a structured plot synopsis, practising sequencing, narrative organisation, and clear written expression.

Part 3. Writing and Word Search
Two writing activities: first, students write a sentence for each letter of the word 'Ferdinand' (an acrostic structure), then write about moments in the movie where they felt sad, happy, and excited. The section closes with a word search featuring 15 terms, five of which require students to answer clues before searching.