Beware the Bare Bear Trivia Quiz

Answer: Iorek Byrnison

It could be argued that a panserbjorn (armoured bear) like Iorek might not be the friendliest of creatures, unless, of course, you are on his side! Created by Philip Pullman as part of the "His Dark Materials" trilogy, Iorek Bynison is King of Svalbard and a skilled metalworker.

His many adventures include having his armour stolen by devious humans and subsequent enslavement by the perpetrators (from which he eventually escapes). On screen the CGI version of the armoured polar bear is voiced by Ian McKellen in the 2007 movie adaptation of "The Golden Compass".

Answer: Boo-Boo Bear

Short of stature and of a cheery disposition, Boo-Boo makes a perfect sidekick for his taller friend Yogi (we'll meet him later) as they seek out picnic baskets to pilfer around Jellystone Park, their home. Making his first appearance in a Hanna-Barbera cartoon in 1958, Boo-Boo is still active in the early decades of the 21st century. Voiced by Don Messick from 1958-1996, later appearances have featured a number of voice actors, including Justin Timberlake in the 2010 movie "Yogi Bear".

Answer: Fozzie Bear

Fozzie is a muppet bear, orange in colour, who first appeared on "The Muppet Show" in 1976. Some say that the name Fozzie is derived from the name of his first voice actor, Frank Oz, though Oz himself says otherwise. However he got his name, Fozzie is a stand up comedian and has appeared in numerous "Muppet" movies and TV series, with Eric Jacobson providing his voice since 2002, with some exceptions.

Answer: Corduroy

Written and drawn by Don Freeman, Corduroy is a teddy bear who is the main character of the book "Corduroy" (1968) and its sequel "A Pocket for Corduroy" (1978). Later sequels have been written by different authors, including the actress Viola Davis.

The original story is about a little girl who wants to buy Corduroy and take him home, a button lost from his overalls, and adventures in a closed department store. Various polls of teachers have placed the original book in Top 100 lists of books for children.

Answer: Yogi Bear

Boo-Boo's best friend and the instigator of most of their mischief, Yogi Bear is not to be confused with former New York Yankees catcher Yogi Berra, who was at the height of his fame when Jellystone's "smarter than the average bear" made his first appearance in 1958. Voiced for the first thirty years by Daws Butler, Yogi Bear has appeared in a great many television shows (including his own) and films over the years, not to mention comic books and video games. Yogi Bear and Boo-Boo, as well as their nemesis Ranger Smith, were a big part of my childhood.

Answer: Paddington Bear

Paddington Bear, who came from Peru, was created by author Michael Bond, and first appeared in print in 1958. The colours of his clothing vary, but his jacket is most often blue, with hat and wellington boots either red or yellow. More than twenty books followed the first one, and Paddington has also been portrayed in the movies, on television and as a cuddly toy.

There is a statue of him in his namesake Paddington Station in London (UK) and in 2015 a Paddington statue was unveiled in Lima, Peru.

Answer: Smokey Bear

The familiar poster image first came about in 1944, when the Forest Service in the USA adopted Smokey as a spokesperson and educator to help prevent forest fires. In 1950 a black bear cub who survived a forest fire became a living representative (without the clothing), also bearing the name Smokey.

The Smokey Bear website has a section for kids, with tips about campfire safety and other interesting bits and pieces.

Answer: Winnie the Pooh

It is the Disney version of Winnie the Pooh that wears a red shirt, in the various cartoon tales by that company. Illustrations for the original books by A.A. Milne usually show Pooh clad only in his natural fur, as was the toy bear owned by Milne's son Christopher Robin. That toy in its turn had been named for a real bear living in London Zoo, who had accompanied a Canadian military unit from Canada to the UK during World War I, whose name was short for "Winnipeg".

Answer: Duffy the Disney Bear

Duffy, formerly simply "the Disney Bear", is to be found in several of the Disney parks around the world, and can be brought home in the form of a plush toy. Unlike the other bears in this quiz, he has no book or movie credits, though there are a few YouTube clips talking about his history, which begins in 2002.

His sailor hat has the name DUFFY across the front so we can be sure who we have found! This seems to be his main wardrobe, though he sometimes has appeared in other gear.

Answer: Rupert Bear

Rupert Bear and his chums, including Bill Badger, live in the English village of Nutwood, where they have all sorts of adventures together. Rupert's first appearance was in November 1920 as a single panel comic in the "Daily Express" newspaper. He soon moved on to bigger things, including, since 1936 a hardcover annual, compiling many interesting stories about these characters.

As a small child, I eagerly awaited the arrival of a Rupert book as a Christmas gift from my English grandmother. The stories are captivating for a little one.