Onomatopoeia
Can you guess the books?
It’s twice-monthly trivia Tuesday. How well do you know the world of children’s literature?
This week’s clues focus on onomatopoeia, the formation of a word from the sound of its subject.
One of the superpowers of motherhood is the ability to recognize the significance of sounds. We hear the swish of small fingers unrolling the toilet paper, the shuffle of someone wearing Daddy’s muddy shoes indoors, the distinct cry of a baby waking up happy versus sad, and we know within a split-second what is going on.
And the sound of silence? Usually we can intuit what that might mean, too.
Our books today use onomatopoeia. All of them are picture books.
Picture book onomatoepoeia
Easy: Kuplink, kuplank, kuplunk goes the pail. See answer here.
Medium: Squelch squerch squelch squerch go this family’s feet. See answer here.
Hard: Wasawusu wasawusu comes the python to the animal council, where he shifts blame to another. See answer here.
Bonus: Sometimes I feel like this character, going “lippity lippity, not very fast.” See answer here.
This post includes affiliate links. I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase through my link.
Scoring
If you got one question correct: You are Piglet, a loyal friend who appreciates good stories and recognizes quality work when he sees it, but whose exposure to literature is somewhat limited. Keep reading more books!
If you got two questions correct: You are Rabbit, an efficient fellow who knows more than most but needn’t be bothered with mastering all that pertains to book learning.
If you got three or four questions correct: Congratulations! You are Owl. Your knowledge is deep and ponderous and impressive. Feel free to celebrate by restacking this post (but don’t spoil any of the answers for others).
And yes, to clarify, in Winnie-the-Pooh, Rabbit can in fact read and write better than Owl, who cannot do either any better than my kindergartener. But I think it’s still clear that Owl has a deeper well of knowledge than does Rabbit; hence I’m giving Owl’s name to the higher score.
Sharing
If you enjoyed these trivia questions, would you share them a with a friend or restack here on Substack?
Do you know someone who loves great books? Please recommend The Hundred Acre Bookshelf to others!
First 2 were easy; anyone who has read them a hundred times to their children will not forget those lines. I was not familiar with the third one. And of course Peter Rabbit and Winnie-the-Pooh . . . what would childhood be without them?
thanks for reminding us!
Love these quizzes. I couldn't get the "hard" question - looked at the answer and realized I haven't read that one since I was a child. Love these great reminders of good books. :)