Book Title Tableau - Animals Trivia Quiz

Answer: Mockingbird

"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee was published in 1960. The novel takes place in the 1930s in the fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama, and follows Scout Finch as she grows up with her brother Jem and their father, Atticus, a lawyer who defends a Black man falsely accused of assaulting a white woman.

The idea of the "mockingbird" is explained within the story as a creature that does nothing but make music for people to enjoy, meaning it causes no harm. Because of this, characters like Atticus and Miss Maudie say it is a sin to kill a mockingbird.

Answer: Fox

"Fantastic Mr Fox" by Roald Dahl was published in 1970. The story follows Mr Fox, who steals chickens, ducks, and other food from three farmers (Boggis, Bunce, and Bean) until they decide to hunt him down. After the farmers dig up his home, Mr Fox leads his family and other animals through underground tunnels, outsmarting the farmers.

"Fox" is used straightforwardly, as Mr Fox is an actual fox who behaves with humanlike cleverness.

Answer: Elephants

"Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen was published in 2006. The novel follows Jacob Jankowski, a young man who joins a struggling traveling circus during the Great Depression and becomes involved in caring for the animals, especially an elephant named Rosie. He also becomes involved in a conflict centered on the circus's violent animal trainer and Marlena, a performer he grows close to.

The word "elephants" in the title refers literally to the animals in the circus. Their presence is a defining part of Jacob's work and daily environment, since caring for them becomes one of his main responsibilities.

Answer: Penguins

"Mr Popper's Penguins" by Richard and Florence Atwater was published in 1938. The story follows Mr Popper, a house painter who dreams of exploring the polar regions and unexpectedly receives a live penguin from an Antarctic explorer. As more penguins join the household, the Poppers develop a stage act for them, which creates financial strain. The family eventually finds a workable arrangement.

The "penguins" in the title are the literal animals Mr Popper struggles to care for.

Answer: Mice

"Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck was published in 1937. The novel follows two migrant workers, George Milton and Lennie Small, as they travel through California during the Great Depression seeking temporary jobs. George looks out for Lennie, whose intellectual disability makes it difficult for him to avoid trouble, and their shared plan to someday own a small farm is tested by their new ranch job.

In this book, the word "mice" does not refer to actual mice in the story's main events. Instead, it comes from the Robert Burns poem that inspired the title: "The best laid schemes o' mice an' men / Gang aft agley" (The best-planned schemes of mice and men often go wrong).

Answer: Caterpillar

"The Very Hungry Caterpillar" by Eric Carle was published in 1969. The book follows a caterpillar that hatches from an egg and eats a growing amount of food each day, moving from simple leaves to a variety of items as it grows larger. It later forms a cocoon and eventually emerges as a butterfly.

The "caterpillar" in the title is the cute insect main character who eats the food and "makes" all the holes in the book!

Answer: Falcon

"The Maltese Falcon" by Dashiell Hammett was published in 1930. The novel follows private detective Sam Spade as he becomes involved with several individuals searching for a valuable statuette known as the Maltese Falcon. Spade works through conflicting accounts and changing alliances as he investigates the case. His efforts focus on uncovering who is being truthful and who is responsible for his partner's death.

The "falcon" from the title does not refer to a living bird, but the jeweled statuette that drives the characters' actions throughout the story.

Answer: Lambs

"The Silence of the Lambs" by Thomas Harris was published in 1988. The novel follows FBI trainee Clarice Starling as she interviews the imprisoned murderer Hannibal Lecter in hopes of gaining insight that will help locate another killer who is still active. Her conversations with Lecter reveal information that guides the investigation, while also forcing her to confront some terrible memories from her childhood.

There is more of a symbolic meaning to the word "lambs" rather than to actual lambs that appear in the story. Clarice recalls trying to save lambs on a farm in a childhood memory, and the silence that follows helps explain the emotional weight behind the title.

Answer: Swan

"The Trumpet of the Swan" by E. B. White was published in 1970. The novel follows Louis, a young trumpeter swan born without a voice, whose father steals a brass trumpet so Louis can communicate. Louis learns to play the trumpet, takes jobs to repay the debt, and works toward building a life in which he can communicate clearly and form connections with others.

Louis and the other swans are depicted as anthropomorphic birds in the book.

Answer: Cat

"Cat's Cradle" by Kurt Vonnegut was published in 1963. The novel follows a narrator named John as he researches the life of a scientist involved in creating a substance called Ice-Nine, which has the ability to freeze any liquid it touches. His investigation leads him to the scientist's family and eventually to the island of San Lorenzo, where political instability and the danger of Ice-Nine shape the events that unfold.

The "cat" in the title comes from the string game "cat's cradle," which is used here as an image for complicated, loosely connected actions that people mistake for meaningful structure.