How Much Do You Remember About the Books of Dr. Seuss?
By: Ashley Ehman
5 min
Image: Universal Pictures/ Illumination
About This Quiz
There are very few children's book authors that seem to make their way into almost everyone's childhood. While there are the likes of Roald Dahl and Shel Silverstein, there is one author that stands out among the crowd. That author is Dr. Seuss. With his masterful use of rhyming and limericks, his books were always a great choice for young readers! That's why he is a formidable part of so many people's youth. Before his death in 1991, Dr. Seuss had written at least forty books.Â
With so many books, it can be hard to keep track of each one! How much do you remember about the stories that Dr. Seuss wrote? Do you know the dog's name in "How the Grinch Stole Christmas"? Or what about the names of the children that dealt with the Cat in the Hat's shenanigans while their mother was away? Whether you read the books as a child or perhaps read them to your own children now, only a true Seuss fan will be able to navigate the questions of this quiz. Will this quiz show you the places you can go? Or will you end up in a lurch and looking besmirched? Take this quiz to find out!
What's the name of the little girl who helps the Grinch's heart grow three sizes?
Bonnie Lou Who
Cindy Lou Who
While stealing Christmas presents, the Grinch meets a sleepy Cindy Lou Who. He lies to the little girl and escapes with the gifts. The next morning he discovers that his burglary didn't ruin Christmas for the Whos. As he hears them singing and celebrating, his heart grows three sizes.
Which Seuss tale is known for the line "A person's a person, no matter how small"?
"Horton Hears a Who!"
Dr. Seuss used to draw racist portrayals of Japanese people. Upon visiting school children in Japan for article research, he had a change of heart and dedicated "Horton Hears a Who!" to a Japanese individual he met.
Unsurprisingly, what book by Seuss was made to introduce the alphabet to children?
"One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish"
"Dr. Seuss's ABC "
While his most popular pen name was Dr. Seuss, there were many other names that he wrote under during his career. Some of these included L. Pasteur, Theo LeSieg and Rosetta Stone.
In the last book he wrote before his death, Seuss revealed that "Everyone is just waiting." Which work contains these words?
"Dr. Seuss's Sleep Book"
"Hop on Pop"
"Hunches in Bunches"
"Oh, the Places You'll Go!"
Seuss explains a location in "Oh, the Places You'll Go!" called 'The Waiting Place.' In this part of the book, the author explains how the main character will run into people in their life who are content with waiting around and not moving forward in life.
What Dr. Seuss book was centered around creatures who had stars on their bellies?
"The Sneetches"
This book taught such a strong message of tolerance that at one point, NATO was going to translate the story collection, "The Sneetches and Other Stories," into Serbian and Croatian.
Even though it's written simply enough for children to understand, "Mr. Brown Can Moo? Can You?" covers a complex literary device known as onomatopoeia. This is when sounds are spelled out as words.
The line, "Think left and think right and think low and think high" can be found in which book?
"Gerald McBoing Boing"
"Oh, the Thinks You Can Think!"
The authors of the Berenstain Bears series, Jan and Stan Berenstain, were said to have gotten help from Dr. Seuss. Before they published their first book, Seuss recommended that the authors work to connect with their characters more.
Published in 1968, Seuss wrote a book that dealt with different types of a single body part. What was the body part?
The nose
The ear
The hand
The foot
The book in question here is "The Foot Book." Upon publication, it was very successful, but its creation was sad. It's said that Seuss created this book in eight-hour working days after his wife, Helen, passed away.
Which Seuss character is most known for his line "I speak for the trees"?
"Horton Hatches the Egg"
"Oh, the Thinks You Can Think!"
"The Lorax"
"The Lorax" is one of Seuss's books that faced censorship in certain areas of the country. One school in California, in particular, banned the book because it painted the logging industry in a negative light.
Which book carries the subtitle, "The Simplest Seuss for Youngest Use"?
"Hop on Pop"
While some children's authors get into the business because they like kids, Seuss was thrown into it based on limitations put upon him by advertising contracts. Writing books for kids was one of the few things that didn't go against his contracts.
Peter T. Hooper wanted an exotic version of which breakfast food?
Pancakes
Scrambled eggs
In his quest for the best scrambled eggs, Peter gets eggs from exotic birds because he grows weary of chicken eggs. He calls his dish "Scrambled Eggs Super Dee Dooper Dee Booper Special Deluxe a la Peter T. Hooper."
Which book by Dr. Seuss was said to have themes representing the arms race and nuclear war?
"Yertle the Turtle"
"The Butter Battle Book"
Despite being written for children, "The Butter Battle Book" had quite an impact on the New York Time's bestsellers list. In fact, it was the first book for kids that spent six months on the esteemed list.
If your zamp is in a lamp, you might be the main character in which Dr. Seuss book?
"Hop on Pop"
"How the Grinch Stole Christmas"
"Fox in Socks"
"There's a Wocket in My Pocket"
One instance of pop culture and Dr. Seuss coming together was with "There's a Wocket in My Pocket." In 2018, a rapper took the beat from Migos' hit "Walk It Talk It" and spoke the words from the popular Seuss book.
The fish is the voice of reason in one of Dr. Seuss's books, when he says, "He should not be here / When your mother is out!" Which book did this come from?
"The Cat in the Hat"
As one might expect, "The Cat in the Hat" is Dr. Seuss's most popular book. Quite a few other titles were popular among the masses, and even today, it's said that 25% of American children receive a Seuss book as their first book.
Mrs. McCave was known for having twenty-three sons, that were all named what?
Gustave
John
Bob
Dave
In addition to a few literary awards, Dr. Seuss also won two Emmys. One was for "Halloween is Grinch Night," and the other one was award to "The Grinch Grinches The Cat in the Hat."
In which book do "chicks with bricks and blocks and clocks come"?
"Cat in the Hat"
"Fox in Socks"
"Fox in Socks" is the story of Fox (who is, as the name suggests, a fox) and Knox, who is recognizable by his yellow appearance. Fox speaks only in rhyme, much to the frustration of Knox.
The main character in this book is a young boy who "didn't talk words." Which book is it?
"Too Many Daves"
"Gerald McBoing Boing"
"Gerald McBoing Boing" went beyond Dr. Seuss's pages, as it was turned into a popular short animated film by Phil Eastman and Bill Scott. In 1950, it went on to win an Oscar for Best Animated Short.
Which Seuss story focuses on an empty lot behind Mr. Sneelock's business?
"The Cat in the Hat Comes Back"
"Oh, the Thinks You Can Think!"
"If I Ran the Circus"
While he wrote under the name Dr. Seuss, the author never went to school to be a doctor. It is said he added the doctor on to his name because his father always hoped he would get his doctorate and pursue a career as a professor.
What is the follow-up line to "One fish / Two fish / Red fish / Blue fish"?
"Black fish / Blue fish / Old fish / New fish."
"One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish" follows the characters Jay and Kay as they look at all the pets they have, as well as unusual creatures the children have made friends with.
This story deals with a North-Going creature and a South-Going creature. Which story matches this summary?
"The Lorax"
"The Foot Book"
"The Butter Battle Book"
"The Zax"
If reading isn't your thing, you can listen to Bob Dylan singing the tale of the Zax. Not the real Bob Dylan, however, but an extremely believable impersonator. The Houston music producer also did the likes of "The Cat in the Hat."
In one Seuss story, the main character is faced with many creatures wearing glove-like hats. Which story is this?
"Hunches in Bunches"
Dr. Seuss was 87 when he passed away in 1991. After a lifetime of heavy smoking, the disease he eventually succumbed to was oral cancer, having been diagnosed with it in the early '80s.
The quote, "But I love to eat cake in the tub. You should try it sometime" came from what book?
"The Cat in the Hat Comes Back"
Seuss and his first wife never had children, but that didn't stop the author from having an imaginary child, whom he called Chrysanthemum-Pearl. It was a long-running joke, but her name can even be seen on the family's Christmas cards.
This story collection was supposedly written about The Cat in the Hat's childhood and other family members. What book is it?
"The Sneetches"
"I Can Lick 30 Tigers Today!"
Dr. Seuss' first book for children was "And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street." Finally published in 1937, Seuss had been rejected twenty-seven times before his book was finally accepted.
Gerald McGrew is the main character in which Seuss book?
"If I Ran the Zoo"
"If I Ran the Zoo" is the first instance of the word "nerd," which was used to describe an imaginary creature. While it wasn't used in the context it is known for today, Seuss is attributed with creating the word.
In the tale, "What Was I Scared Of?", what does the main character keep running away from?
A single shoe
A pair of pants
Seuss may have discovered his knack for drawing while visiting his dad at work! One of his dad's jobs was managing a nearby zoo, where Seuss would visit and then draw the animals.
Lolla Lee Lou had two tail feathers, whereas Gertrude McFuzz only had one. In an attempt to grow more tail feathers, Gertrude eats too many berries and must deal with the repercussions.
Which book introduces Mr. Potter, a man who has an endless number of "i's" to dot and "t's" to cross?
"Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are?"
Seuss was known to have a sense of humor. It turns out his phone number was very similar to that of a local fish market, so instead of pointing the callers in the right direction, Seuss would simply send them a rendition of the fish they had been trying to order.
The setting of this story is Katroo. Which book is it?
"Oh, the Places You'll Go!"
"Fox in Socks"
"Happy Birthday to You!"
When he wasn't busy writing or creating cartoons, Seuss had a strange collection to keep himself occupied; his collection of hats! It was said that he had several hundred kinds of hats when he died.
In the standard English alphabet, there are 26 letters. Which Seuss title created an additional 20 letters?
"Dr. Seuss's ABC"
"The Zax"
"On Beyond Zebra"
Seuss is known for his children's books, but with titles like"The Seven Lady Godivas," he also wrote for an adult audience. In total, he wrote more than forty books in his lifetime.
The opening of this book begins with Van Vleck, a tiny bug. Which book is it?
"If I Ran the Zoo"
"Dr. Seuss's Sleep Book"
Seuss had developed and used his pen name long before he came to write children's books. When he was banned from his college magazine, he continued to submit work under Seuss and T. Seuss.
First hitting shelves in 1972, which Dr. Seuss book had a dog in purple pajamas as its protagonist?
"Dr. Seuss's Sleep Book"
"Too Many Daves"
"Happy Birthday to You!"
"Marvin K. Mooney Will You Please Go Now!"
Even though Dr. Seuss has been dead for nearly two decades at this point, he is still changing the literary community. Based on his notes and old illustrations, he will be posthumously releasing a story on September 3, 2019.
Which character was originally black and white with pink eyes?
The Lorax
The Grinch
The person who approached Dr. Seuss to adapt "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" into an animated special was an old colleague. Chuck Jones and Geisel used to work on animated training videos for the Army.
It was originally Seuss's editor who gave him the inspiration for "Green Eggs and Ham." He bet the writer that he couldn't write a story with less than 225 different words. Seuss used only 50.
In which book does Mayzie disappear to Palm Beach?
"On Beyond Zebra"
"Gerald McBoing Boing"
"Yertle the Turtle"
"Horton Hatches the Egg"
While Seuss said that the idea for "Horton Hatches the Egg" came from an elephant drawing getting caught in a tree, it is more likely that it came from one of his previous stories, called "Matilda, the Elephant with a Mother Complex."
Which Seuss character was thought to be based on Adolf Hitler?
Horton the Elephant
The Grinch
Thing 1 and Thing 2
Yertle the Turtle
While "Yertle the Turtle" did not invent the word, it did use "burp" within its pages. This was controversial at the time, as the word was perceived to be very rude, especially for a children's book.
This was the final story in the collection called "Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories." This particular story was about finding the best animal based on their abilities to hear and smell.