Classic Children’s Books Quiz

Question: An editor told Shel Silverstein what book was “too simple” for adults and “too sad” for kids?

Answer: Shel Silverstein said he avoided happy endings because he didn’t want young readers to wonder why they weren’t as happy as those in his books. The Giving Tree has sold more than 10 million copies.

Question: In 1987 nine animal statues—a mama and eight babies—were erected in Boston to commemorate what book?

Answer: Make Way for Ducklings is the tale of Mrs. Mallard and her eight children navigating the streets of Boston. Sculptor Nancy Schön was asked to create a tribute to them in Boston Public Gardens. Her nine duck statues stretch out for a total of 35 feet.

Question: Which author originally wanted his 1963 picture book to be about “wild horses,” until he realized he couldn’t draw horses?

Answer: Maurice Sendak landed a contract to write a book he titled Where the Wild Horses Are. However, he realized he couldn’t draw horses very well, so he decided to switch to the more ambiguous Where the Wild Things Are. He based his drawings of the “things” on childhood memories of unkempt relatives.

Question: According to If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, what will the mouse ask for once he has a cookie?

Answer: Milk is needed to wash down the cookie, but then the mouse needs a straw to drink the milk, followed by a napkin to clean up and a mirror to check for a milk mustache. Eventually the list of desires grows to include another cookie, starting the cycle anew.

Question: Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar is known for what?

Answer: The book was published with holes cut through the pages, presumably eaten by the very hungry caterpillar.

Question: Which book was a result of a bet that Dr. Seuss couldn’t write a story with only 50 unique words?

Answer: Theodor Geisel was presented with a list of 348 teacher-approved words that help stimulate reading and was challenged to create a book kids couldn’t put down. Using only 236, he made The Cat in the Hat. Later, Random House cofounder Bennett Cerf bet him $50 he couldn’t do it with just 50 words. After much agonizing, Seuss rose to the occasion by writing Green Eggs and Ham.

Question: Which of the following books is about a stuffed bear who goes on an adventure in a department store?

Answer: In Don Freeman’s book Corduroy, a small stuffed bear goes on the hunt for his missing button one night in the department store where he lives on a shelf. He hopes that fixing his overalls will make him more attractive to a potential buyer.

Question: In which book do we see “a comb and a brush and a bowl full of mush”?

Answer: Author Margaret Wise Brown based Goodnight Moon on her childhood memories of saying goodnight to each object in the nursery she shared with her sister Roberta.

Question: The name Strega Nona comes from the Italian for what phrase?

Answer: Strega Nona is a wise old woman renowned for her magical powers, particularly her ever-filled pot of pasta. Author Tomie de Paola based the character in part on his own Italian American grandmother Concetta.

Question: Which of these is widely considered the first picture book to star a Black child?

Answer: Author and illustrator Ezra Jack Keats had illustrated other people’s manuscripts and noticed none of them feature Black characters. Keats wrote about his character Peter, “My book would have him there simply because he should have been there all along.”

Question: In the musical adaptation of which Roald Dahl book does the title character sing, “Sometimes you have to be a little bit naughty?”

Answer: Matilda Wormwood has vile parents that she pulls tricks on (like supergluing a hat on her dad’s head) to teach them lessons. She gains the ability to manipulate objects with her mind, greatly enhancing her pranking potential. She uses her mischievous powers and supernatural ability to foil the evil headmistress Miss Trunchbull.