Children's Lit Titles in Latin (Pt 3 Food Theme) Quiz

Answer: Dracones Amant Placenta Maizii

"Dracones" is the Latin word for "dragons", and "Amant" is Latin for "to love" in the third person plural form. Now, "Tacos" is essentially a Spanish proper noun and is commonly understood in various cultures, and would nowadays still be called "Tacos" including cultures that speak Latin. I suppose if we time traveled back to long ago days and Latin speakers were introduced to a taco they'd look at it and call it a "Placenta maizii" meaning a corn (maize) flatbread. Written by Adam Rubin and illustrated by Daniel Salmieri, "Dragons Love Tacos" tells us that dragons do indeed love to eat almost all kinds of tacos, and it gives kids tips on how to host a taco party to attract them. Almost all kinds of tacos. Spicy salsa tacos on the other hand, leads to chaos when dragons eat them. If your children enjoyed this first literary serving, they might ask for seconds, in which case there is "Dragons Love Tacos 2: The Sequel", that is, "Dracones Amant Placenta Maizii Duo: Sequela".

Answer: Virent Ova! Viret Perna!

Unlike most of the children's lit books in these quizzes of mine, "Green Eggs and Ham" has actually been translated into a Latin edition and published. That actual Latin translation of the book title is "Virent Ova! Viret Perna!" capturing the whimsically playful tone of the book, with "Virent" meaning "are green" and "Ova" meaning "eggs," while "Viret" means "is green" and "Perna" means "ham." If we stuck to a more literal (boring) translation, we might call it "Viridi Ova Et Pernam" First published on August 12, 1960, the Dr. Seuss (nee Theodore Geisel) book "Green Eggs and Ham" has become a children's literature icon. You may have heard by now that Mr. Geisel wrote the book upon taking up his publisher's challenge that he write a book comprised of only 50 different words. And thus, was born the tale of a character who repeatedly turns down the offer to eat green eggs and ham, no matter where or with who, or how they are served.

Answer: Myrtillae pro Sal

"Myrtillae" is the Latin word for "blueberries," and "pro" means "for."
"Sal" since it is a proper noun, would alas, remain "Sal" which is unfortunate as it might lead one to think it is the worst cookbook in the world, meaning "Blueberries for Salt."
This is the oldest of the ten books in this quiz, first published in 1948, written and illustrated by Robert McCloskey. It is set in Maine and follows a young girl named Sal and a bear cub who go blueberry picking with their mothers. And yes, they do this at Blueberry Hill.

Answer: Nublado Cum Probabilitate Alböndigas.

"Nublado" translates to "cloudy," the weather condition in the original title.
"Cum" is a Latin preposition for "with," connecting the idea of being cloudy to the subsequent phrase. "Probabilitate" means "chance" or "probability," and "Alböndigas" refers to "meatballs." In Latin, it is important to use a term that represents the food item accurately.
This 1978 book, written by Judi Barrett and illustrated by Ron Barrett, presents a grandpa's bedtime story about a world in which the weather provides the food for a town called Chewsandswallow. It might rain soup or juice, or it might snow mashed potatoes, or might storm down hamburgers upon the citizens. The National Education Association listed this one in their "Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children."

Answer: Populi in Loco Ananas

"Homines" and "Populi" both mean "people", however "Homines" has a meaning more akin to humans collectively whereas "Populi" has a connotation of being more localized, as in a group of people.
"In" is also "in" in English. "Loco" means "place" or "location."
"Ananas" and "Ananassi" are both words for Pineapple, but "Ananas" is the better choice, as it indicates the subject without meaning possession or relation. Using "Ananassi" would misrepresent the intention, suggesting ownership rather than designation.
Anne Lindbergh's 1982 takes place in Georgetown (my alma mater, yay!), and tells of a boy named August Brown who has moved there with his mother after her divorce. One day August follows a mysterious lady he often sees when she waves to him, and he discovers a cobblestone street with seven invisible children, that he alone can see. And they stab him to death. NO!! I'm just kidding, no no no, this is a children's book, no, they help August adjust to this new phase in his life and help him deal with all his confused feelings.

Answer: Carolus et Factoria Chocolatae

"Carolus" is a Latin form of "Charlie", perhaps a better form than using "Carlus" which is less commonly used; "Carolus" is the traditional Latinized version.
"et" means "and" and after that we have "Factoria" for "factory", and "Chocolatae" the genitive form, meaning "of chocolate."
We were first introduced to Willy Wonka's chocolate factory and the young boy Charlie Bucket who lives nearby, in 1964 by author Roald Dahl. Charlie, along with Augustus Gloop, Violet Beauregarde, Veruca Salt, and Mike Teavee each win one of the five golden tickets that grant them all a tour of the factory and a lifetime supply of chocolate.

Answer: Si Dederis Murem Biscotum

"Si" means "if" and "Dederis" is the Latin second person singular future perfect form of "to give," which is "you give" in this case. "Murem" is the accusative singular form of "mus," Latin for "mouse" and indicates the direct object of the action.
"Biscotum" and "Crustulum" can both be cookie, but "Biscotum" is closer to the concept of a chocolate chip cookie which is the kind of cookie in the book judging from all the illustrations. "Crustulum," while also a possibility, is more general, applying to a broader range of pastries.
Laura Numeroff wrote and Felicia Bond illustrated this 1985 book, which then spawned a series of "If You Give a..." books. Cause and effect, as well as the consequences of generosity are the lessons learned by children in this story of a boy who gives a cookie to a mouse, only to be faced with subsequent requests from the mouse.

Answer: Torta Alligatoris

The word "Alligator" is "Alligator" in Latin as well, and when in the form of a possessive or descriptive context, indicating "of the alligator, it becomes "Alligatoris."
The word "Pie" can be translated to "Torta" in Latin, which refers to a cake or pie.
Canadians Dennis Lee wrote this children's whimsical poetry book, and Frank Newfeld illustrated in 1974. "Alligator Pie," is the title poem amongst a collection including "Willoughby Wallaby Woo," and "Skyscraper." The book won the Book of the Year Award from the Canadian Library Association in 1975.

Answer: Homo Caseus Foetidus et Aliae Fabulae Paucis Sapientiæ

"Homo" translates to "man" or "person" from the Latin. "Caseus Foetidus" will be "stinky cheese," in Latin form, "caseus" being "cheese" and "foetidus" and meaning "foul-smelling."
"Et" is "and." "Aliae" is the Latin feminine plural for "other", and "Fabulae" means "tales" or "stories" and they are of the "Stultae" kind, which is Latin for "stupid" or "foolish"
The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales (1992) is a collection of funny parodies of famous fairy tales and children's stories, written by Jon Scieszka and illustrated by Lane Smith. It is narrated by Jack of "Jack and the Beanstalk" renown, who guides readers from story to story. Amongst the satirical retellings are The Stinky Cheese Man, Goldilocks and the Three Elephants, The Really Ugly Duckling, Little Red Running Shorts, and others. The book won a Caldecott Honor in 1993.

Answer: Omnes Cacant

"Omnes" is Latin for "Everyone", and "Cacant" is the third-person plural form of the verb "cacare," which means "to poop" or "to defecate." Taro Gomi wrote and illustrated originally published in Japan in 1977 and was called "Minna Unchi". Amanda Mayer Stinchecum translated the English version which was released in 1993.

After reading all the books in this quiz, it would indeed be time for a child to follow up with this one. Children will learn that all living creatures poop, but specifically also, that different species make different types of poop sizes, shapes, and colors, and do it in specific places, while others do it on the move. Taro Gomi also illustrated the book using bright colors (oh...not earth tones?) and playful designs.