episode summary

Grab your favourite teddy and climb aboard the book bus. In this cosy bonus episode, we dive into three iconic picture books that shaped childhood for generations: Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss, The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle, and Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak.

​

We unpack surprising origin stories - from a $50 bet that gave us a 50-word masterpiece to a worm that almost stole a caterpillar's spotlight. We talk about the technical printing challenges that sent one book to Japan, the Yiddish heritage woven into Wild Things' monsters, and the wild true stories behind beloved classics.

​

All wrapped up in a lightning-round trivia finale testing your knowledge of banned books, postal stamps, and graphic novel adaptations. No spoilers - just nostalgia, wonder, and book club-ready facts.

Behind the Episode

These three picture books aren't just children's entertainment—they're revolutionary cultural moments. Before Green Eggs and Ham, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and Where the Wild Things Are, children's literature was mostly fairy tales or moral lessons. These books did something radical: they spoke directly to kids' real emotions and experiences.

​

In this episode, we dive into:

​

• Why a $50 bet between Dr. Seuss and his editor created a 50-word literary challenge

• How The Very Hungry Caterpillar evolved from "Willi the Worm" and why printing it required sending it to Japan

• Maurice Sendak's Polish-Jewish heritage and how his aunts and uncles became the Wild Things (complete with names like Tzippy and Moishe)

• The books that were banned from libraries (Goodnight Moon for 25 years, Alice in Wonderland for portraying animals as humans)

• Screen adaptations, stage shows, and a 1983 opera starring relatives' names

• How these classics revolutionised children's publishing forever

​​

what you'll hear

🎧 Why Listen?

​

🎙️ Audio-led trivia with cosy nostalgia and laugh-out-loud author anecdotes
📚 Literary deep dives into book origins, publishing drama, and cultural impact
🎨 Creative context from authors' personal lives and heritage
✨ Bonus facts about die-cut holes, Yiddish phrases, and bizarre library bans

​

Whether you're a longtime children's book enthusiast, rediscovering these classics for the first time, or just love nostalgic stories packed with surprising origins and cultural history, this Children's Classics podcast episode delivers behind-the-scenes content and author insights you won't find anywhere else.

want the quiz first?

Prefer to quiz yourself on Children's Books?
👉 Take the trivia-only version first →