Books by Munro Leaf

In this entertaining and engaging book, Munro Leaf offers a fresh and lighthearted take on world history, from the dawn of civilization to the present day. With its witty and informative text, and its charming illustrations by the author, History Can Be Fun is a delightful introduction to the people and events that have shaped our world. Whether read for pleasure or for learning, this book is sure to inspire curiosity and wonder about the past. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

A true classic with a timeless message! All the other bulls run, jump, and butt their heads together in fights. Ferdinand, on the other hand, would rather sit and smell the flowers. So what will happen when Ferdinand is picked for the bullfights in Madrid? The Story of Ferdinand has inspired, enchanted, and provoked readers ever since it was first published in 1936 for its message of nonviolence and pacifism. In WWII times, Adolf Hitler ordered the book burned in Nazi Germany, while Joseph Stalin, the leader of the Soviet Union, granted it privileged status as the only non-communist children's book allowed in Poland. The preeminent leader of Indian nationalism and civil rights, Mahatma Gandhi—whose nonviolent and pacifistic practices went on to inspire Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr.—even called it his favorite book. The story was adapted by Walt Disney into a short animated film entitled Ferdinand the Bull in 1938. Ferdinand the Bull won the 1938 Academy Award for Best Short Subject (Cartoons).

The first collection of abridged versions of Munro Leaf’s most popular children’s guides to proper behavior—featuring retro, midcentury modern illustrations, this is the perfect gift for grandparents, parents, and children alike. Renowned children’s book illustrator and author Munro Leaf captured the whimsy and innocence of childhood for an entire generation of young readers. Now, more than fifty years later, those same readers are passing these stories down to their children and their children’s children, and Leaf’s collection of children’s books has reached iconic status. Collected here for the first time in one affordable volume are selections from some of Leaf’s most beloved childhood guides. With a charming mixture of fatherly concern and kindhearted humor, and without ever coming across as a scold, Leaf has helped generations of American children (and adults) learn how to behave like proper grown-ups (in grown-up company), how to speak politely, to enjoy reading, and even to remember to brush their teeth. With over 500,000 copies of his beloved books in print, this new edition will bring Leaf’s unique voice to an entirely new group of young readers.

Originally published in 1943 as: Health can be fun.

A Caldecott Honor Book by the creators of the beloved Story of Ferdinand Wee Gillis lives in Scotland. He is an orphan, and he spends half of each year with his mother's people in the lowlands, while the other half finds him in the highlands with his father's kin. Both sides of Gillis's family are eager for him to settle down and adopt their ways. In the lowlands, he is taught to herd cattle, learning how to call them to him in even the heaviest of evening fogs. In the rocky highlands, he stalks stags from outcrop to outcrop, holding his breath so as not to make a sound. Wee Gillis is a quick study, and he soon picks up what his elders can teach him. And yet he is unprepared when the day comes for him to decide, once and for all, whether it will be the lowlands or the highlands that he will call his home. Robert Lawson and Munro Leaf's classic picture book is a tribute to the powers of the imagination and a triumph of the storyteller's and illustrator's art.

Updated for the 21st century, How to Speak Politely and Why is a picture book with a point: proper speech and good grammar without nagging. It aims to remove “ain’t” and “uh-huh” and “gimme” and “got” and a score of unfortunate nuances by a simple, sure painless and humorous process. In his signature style of amusing stick figure drawings and captions, Leaf makes clear such things as the difference between can and may, and the reason why one does not say “he done it” or “she come.” Exasperated parents (and grandparents) faced with the unpleasant task of dealing with grammatical lapses acquired by their children from (gasp!) their neighbor’s children will be delighted (and relieved) by this veritable “grammar without tears.” Teachers will find it an indispensable ally, and even the culprits themselves—the children—will discover that learning to speak politely and correctly isn’t such a chore after all.

Updated for the 21st century, How to Speak Politely and Why is a picture book with a point: proper speech and good grammar without nagging. It aims to remove “ain't” and “uh-huh” and “gimme” and “got” and a score of unfortunate nuances by a simple, sure painless and humorous process. In his signature style of amusing stick figure drawings and captions, Leaf makes clear such things as the difference between can and may, and the reason why one does not say “he done it” or “she come.”
Exasperated parents (and grandparents) faced with the unpleasant task of dealing with grammatical lapses acquired by their children from (gasp!) their neighbor's children will be delighted (and relieved) by this veritable “grammar without tears.” Teachers will find it an indispensable ally, and even the culprits themselves—the children—will discover that learning to speak politely and correctly isn't such a chore after all.

Reading Can Be Fun is a children’s classic by Munro Leaf, the bestselling author of Manners Can Be Fun. From the desktops of Andy and Gil Leaf: One of the most important lessons our father taught us is the value of reading. The exhilaration of turning a page and having words leap out, begging to be uttered and embraced, is a profound experience that is permanently etched in the mind. This was his message to every child. A springboard for the imagination, a book can be educational and fun. It is a huge joy that the key to the amusing, creative, and engaging world of our father can once again be found on bookshelves. He would be tremendously pleased and satisfied to know that today, nearly seventy years and one century later, his words still have resonance—words that will be fondly remembered by generations past, and words that will be savored, chuckled over, and read countless times by a new generation of curious, inquisitive, and impressionable young eyes.

First published in 1946, this guide gives touchingly sincere yet gently funny lessons in honesty, fairness, strength, and wisdom. Originally intended for the very young, this is a true classic, charmingly illustrated with childlike drawings, and with a timeless message.

Humorous illustrations of the Watchbirds help to introduce the rules of etiquette.

After being unkind to a dog, Tommy has a dream that he is sent to Malaysia where he stands trial before animal judges and an animal jury and is admonished to be kind, not cruel.

Two girls secretly grant the wishes of the boy next door when they overhear him talking to the stone mermaid in the garden pool.

Gordon the goat didn't care much what he did or why he did it until he ran smack into a tornado.

A collection of brief animal tales with specific morals which are attributed to a wise Greek slave.