Guess the Book from the Quote!

We all have a favourite book from our childhood and passing on those timeless stories to our children at bedtime tugs at our heartstrings and transports us back to childhood memories.

But reading to children isn’t just for our nostalgia. A child’s earliest years are crucial to their development and reading is just one great way of inspiring their imagination, creating comfort through escaping to another world, and supporting literacy skills. 

In this fun quiz, we challenge you and your kids to guess which classic children’s book a quote is from. By making a game of it, your children are sure to enjoy books more and pique their curiosity if there’s a quote from a book they’ve not read before.

Simply read the quote out loud from the list below and test whose book knowledge is better, yours or theirs! You can find the answers at the end - no peeking!

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Guess the Children’s Book Quiz 

 

1. “He has terrible tusks, and terrible claws, And terrible teeth in his terrible jaws.”

Fun fact: this book was inspired by Chinese folklore.


2. “In the light of the moon a little egg lay on a leaf.”

Hint: the title character eats a lot of food in one week!


3. “On that day if you happen to see an elephant ordinary elephant colour.”

This book teaches children to stay true to themselves and that everyone has unique qualities that shouldn’t be hidden. 


4. “A wise bear always keeps a marmalade sandwich in his hat in case of emergency.”

Clue: this bear is from Peru!

 

5. “And then he ate all the biscuits and all the cake, until there was nothing left on the table.”

Fun fact: this story was first invented by the author after visiting the zoo with their daughter.


6. “In came the little one with a trunkful of toys. “For you!” he beamed, flinging them all in the bath water.”

Hint: this book is about a very large family!

 

7. “Uh-uh! A river! A deep cold river!”

Fun fact: this story was adapted from an American folk song and has been in the 5,000 best selling books every year. 

 

8. “A beautiful blue Roly-poly bird flying across a big blue sky.”

Fun fact: this author’s favourite colour is yellow!

 

9. “All was quiet in the deep dark wood.”

Fun fact: this book was originally going to be about a tiger but the author couldn’t think of anything to rhyme with tiger!

 

10. “On Tuesday he ate through two pears, but he was still hungry!”

Did you know this popular children’s book was first published in 1969?

 

11. “The children crept from the sofa and fetched a blanket. They covered Mr and Mrs Large and tucked them in.”

This sweet story is like a hug in a book!

 

12. “Don’t gobblefunk around with words.”

Fun fact: gobblefunk, the nonsensical language that is spoken by giants, has 238 playful words created by the author.

 

13. “Granny’s bum squeaking again.”

Did you know there’s a sequel to this fun children’s book?

 

14. “What a beautiful day! We’re not scared.”

This book is great to read to children about facing, and overcoming, obstacles in life.

 

15. “I’ll never be like other people, but that’s alright because I’m a bear.”

Fun fact: a lonely teddy bear on the shelf in a shop was the inspiration for this book.


Answers

1. The Gruffalo - Julia Donaldson
2.The Very Hungry Caterpillar - Eric Carle
3. Elmer - David McKee
4. Paddington - Michael Bond
5. The Tiger Who Came to Tea - Judith Kerr
6. Five Minutes Peace - Jill Murphy
7. We’re Going on a Bear Hunt - Michael Rosen
8. Colours - Roald Dahl
9. The Gruffalo - Julia Donaldson
10. The Very Hungry Caterpillar - Eric Carle
11. A Quiet Night In - Jill Murphy
12. The BFG - Roald Dahl
13. Gangsta Granny - David Walliams
14. We’re Going on a Bear Hunt - Michael Rosen
15. Paddington - Michael Bond

 

How did they do!?

Did your little ones guess every book right? The books that these quotes have come from are just some of the classic children’s books that everyone should read. From the famous Gruffalo to the celebrated classics of Roald Dahl, we encourage every parent to read these stories to their children. 
If you’re looking for some inspiration, why not check out our guide on some of the best books to teach kids to read and, if they love animals, the best animal books for kids!

You can find more resources at the National Literacy Trust
 

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