Hudson Vagabond Puppets certainly proves that when it comes to puppets, bigger is better.

The company will bring larger-than-life puppets to the theatrical stage to tell the children's story Ferdinand the Bull at 2 p.m. Sunday in Eisenhower Auditorium.

The story, written by Munro Leaf and illustrated by Robert Lawson, follows a bull named Ferdinand, a peaceful creature that ends up in a bullring fight after a misunderstanding.

"Ferdinand is a peace-loving bull that is mistaken to be aggressive when he is stung by a bee," said Laura Sullivan, manager of public relations for the Center for the Performing Arts.

The end of the story shows Ferdinand sticking to his ways and remaining peaceful.

"The show sends out a good message to children and it is a quality production, which is why we decided to bring the show here," Sullivan said.

Hudson Vagabond Puppets uses professional actors and dancers in the performance of Ferdinand the Bull. The actors and dancers use their creativity to help recreate the children's story.

"The show is very similar to the children's book. The book is very short, so we created songs and dances," said Edward Winslow, general manager of Hudson Vagabond Puppets. "Each page and illustration from the book has become a story. The show is true to the narration and illustration of the book."

The show encourages children to get involved with the story both before and after the performance and learn the story's moral lesson. Before the show, there are pre-show activities called "kidz connection."

"The children will be able to do arts and crafts and play games such as 'pin the bee on Ferdinand,' " Sullivan said.

Winslow explained that, during the show, children are invited on stage to help. He also said that after the show, there is a brief demonstration for the kids about ways to solve problems without fighting.

Ferdinand the Bull is a fun performance that sends a much needed message to children today, Winslow said and added that entire families can get involved with the show.

"Adults and grandparents would enjoy the show," she said.