The End of Dr. Seuss Trivia Quiz

Answer: Green Eggs and Ham

Dr. Seuss (Theodor Seuss Geisel) published "Green Eggs and Ham" in 1960, and it has sold at least eighty million copies around the world. He wrote the book on a bet from his publisher that he could not write a book using fifty words or less. The book, in fact, uses only fifty different words.

Answer: Hop on Pop

Dr. Seuss published "Hop on Pop" in 1963, and at one point First Lady Laura Bush stated that this book was her favorite Seuss book. Interestingly, Seuss grew concerned once that his publisher might not be reading his manuscripts, so he put an adult-themed word in "Hop on Pop". The publisher noticed it and contacted Seuss about it. Obviously, he was truly reading Seuss's work.

Answer: One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish

Seuss published "One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish" in 1960. Over six million copies of this book have sold worldwide. In the Seuss Landing section of Universal's Islands of Adventure, there is a theme park attraction called "One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish".

Answer: The Cat in the Hat

"The Cat in the Hat" was published by Dr. Seuss in 1957. He wrote the book after being asked by the director of the education division of Houghton Mifflin publishers to write a book that would be more entertaining than the traditional primers used to teach elementary school children to read.

Many had begun to doubt the effectiveness of traditional primers, such as those that relied on stories about Dick and Jane and Spot. Seuss was given a list of words he was allowed to use, and, according to an explanation he himself often gave, these limitations so frustrated him that he decided to write a story based on the first two words he found from the list that rhymed. "Cat" and "hat" were those two words.

Answer: Great Day for Up!

"Great Day for Up!" was published in 1974. While Dr. Seuss did write the book, the illustrations were created by Quentin Blake, the British illustrator who has collaborated with Roald Dahl, Sylvia Plath, William Steig, and many others. "Great Day for Up!" is the first Seuss book not to have been illustrated by Seuss himself.

Answer: Fox in Socks

Dr. Seuss published "Fox in Sox" in 1965. The famous Tweetle Beetle Bottle Battle section of the book was adapted for a television special aired on CBS in 1975.

Answer: If I Ran the Circus

"If I Ran the Circus" was published in 1956 by Dr. Seuss. The book is perhaps a precursor to later books that were more overtly political. "If I Ran the Circus" seems subtly to admonish the indifferent and unimaginative adults who have made a waste of the world we all live in as well as this world's potential. Of course, as is usually the case with Seuss, it is a child that leads the adults to understanding.

Answer: How the Grinch Stole Christmas

"How the Grinch Stole Christmas" was published by Dr. Seuss in 1957 through two different media: an individual book published by Random House and as a part of an issue of the magazine "Redbook". The book incorporates the Whos, who had already appeared in "Horton Hears a Who!"

Apparently, Seuss wrote most of the book rather easily and quickly but then struggled when he got to the ending. He kept rejecting each ending he devised because he felt he was sounding too preachy or preacher-like. Finally, he decided to say nothing in the form of a moral and just show the Grinch and the Whos eating "roast beast" together.

Answer: Horton Hears a Who!

Dr. Seuss published "Horton Hears a Who!" in 1954. It became the second book of his to feature Horton the elephant, "Horton Hatches an Egg", published in 1940, being the first. Seuss wrote the book after visiting Japan and being overwhelmed with how important individualism was among the people he encountered.

He had previously harbored negative feelings toward the Japanese, particularly because of World War II, but his experiences in Japan changed his flawed feelings. The book is meant to be an allegory representing the United States' occupation of Japan following the war, and he dedicated the book to a friend of his who was Japanese.

Answer: McElligot's Pool

"McElligot's Pool" was published in 1947; however, the boy character named Marco appeared in an earlier story by Seuss, "And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street", published in 1937. The book is dedicated to his father, whom he refers to in the dedication as "the World's Greatest Authority on Blackfish, Fiddler Crabs, and Deegel Trout". "Deegel Trout" refers to a private joke shared between him and his father. On the way home from a bad fishing trip, his father had stopped at Deegel hatchery and purchased some trout, which they pretended they had caught.

The book also represents Seuss's first publication of his water color art as illustrations for one of his books.