A molecular biologist from Madurai, our quizmaster enjoys trivia and music, and is working on a rock ballad called ‘Coffee is a Drink, Kaapi is an Emotion’. @bertyashley
Quiz | Easy like Sunday morning: On children’s books
Who is this author whose birthday is celebrated on April 2 as International Children’s Book Day?
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1 / 10 |
April 2 is celebrated as International Children’s Book Day with events held all over the world to celebrate children’s literature. The date was chosen as it is the birthday of a Danish author who is best remembered for his stories for children. Who was this author who was inspired by his father reading Arabian Nights every night?
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Marie-Catherine d’Aulnoy was a countess and French writer who gained the reputation as a historian and recorder of tales from outside France. She popularised a certain term, which we associate with very young children. Her 1697 collection was called Les Contes des Fées. What is the English translation of this title?
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This particular phrase has been used since 1380. It is a stock sentence used to introduce a narrative of past events and is often used in children’s stories, fables and folklore. A modern usage of the sentence with slight variations has become very popular thanks to Star Wars films. What phrase is this?
4 / 10 |
One of the most famous stories by the aforementioned author is about a young person willing to give up everything to find true love. In the original, the ending is tragic with the protagonist refusing to kill a prince, hence losing the chance to go back to her original life. A statue of this character was installed in Copenhagen to commemorate the author. Which story is this that recently had a Disney re-release?
5 / 10 |
This story is one of the most parodied in popular media as its central theme resounds till date. The theme is that illusion depends at least in part on self-deception on the part of those being deceived. The 1283 work Līlāvatīsāra by Jinaratna is one of the earliest such stories. What is the name of the story, which alludes to the object that causes all the trouble?
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This original story revolves around the search for personal identity. It explores themes of belonging, isolation and togetherness, acceptance and kindness. Many coming-of-age movies have been inspired by this story. It is rumoured that this is based on the author’s own life, as he believed he was of royal lineage. What story is this, the Walt Disney adaptation of which won an Oscar in 1939?
7 / 10 |
Set in China, this story follows the Emperor of China as he receives a book as a gift from the Emperor of Japan and in it discovers the existence of a bird that sings beautifully. He finally finds a real bird and to give it company, orders a mechanical version made, which leads to an unfortunate situation. The bird is a small passerine bird whose song has inspired many books and music. What is the name of the bird, which is also the book’s title?
8 / 10 |
This popular story is about a young woman who claims to be a royal and how a lady decides to test her claim by a test of sensitivity. One of the reasons this story is popular is because it shows optimism and hence is an inspiration for young children. What tiny food item does the lady place under 20 mattresses to test the princess?
9 / 10 |
Tommelise is a story of a tiny girl and her adventures with toads and moles before falling in love with a prince just her size. In the beginning, she emerges from a barleycorn flower presented to a childless woman by a witch. What does the woman name her (a reference to how small she was) which is the translation of ‘Tommelise’?
10 / 10 |
This phrase is typically used as a formulaic ending to children’s stories and is mistakenly thought to have come into use because of fairy tales. In fact, none of the original fairy tales mention it and the first time it is seen in print was a 1702 translation of a book. Before that it was used by the church to mean life in heaven. What phrase is this?
