The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss was published in 1957. The title character from this tale of mayhem has since become one of the most recognizable of children's story characters in one of the all-time best-selling children's books... Read more
Bambi is the title character of a cherished children's book and a 1942 Disney animated film. We first meet Bambi as a newborn fawn. During his first year of life, he befriends a rabbit named Thumper and a skunk named Flower. He avoids the attention of a female fawn called Faline. He also learns of the dangers of the meadow and the need for caution... Read more
There are many fictional allusions to mockingbirds in literature. Perhaps the most famous is the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, and its subsequent 1962 film adaptation. The novel, often read by American junior high and high school students, broaches the subjects of rape, racial inequality, and lost innocence. The mockingbird that should not be killed is thought to represent the idea of innocence that can be destroyed by evil... Read more
Tigger is a fan favorite from the Hundred Acre Wood. This hyperactive stuffed tiger made his debut in the children's book The House at Pooh Corner in 1928. Like his counterparts - including Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore, and Kanga - he was based on a stuffed animal owned by author A. A. Milne's son, Christopher Robin... Read more
The common house cat is the smallest member of quite a large family. There are about 60 breeds of domestic cat, and it the smallest of 39 cat species that include giants such as the lion and tiger... Read more
Donald Duck is a classic Disney character. He debuted in 1934 in The Wise Little Hen and is famous for his quacking voice that is hardly intelligible. He also has a quick temper... Read more
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, called TMNT or just Ninja Turtles for short, began as a comic book in 1984. The characters were a parody of others popular at the time, including Daredevil, New Mutants, and Ronin... Read more
Paw prints are a type of footprint left behind by animals. Generally, only mammals are described as having paws. The paw consists of the claws or toenails, the digital pads or fingertips, the large metacarpal pad, and the dewclaw and carpal pad located higher up the leg... Read more
Emojis are small drawings that can be added to text messages or emails to convey emotion. The unicorn emoji was released in 2015. It is used to represent the mythical beast, whimsy, fantasy, uniqueness, and the LGBTQ community... Read more
How did a flying reindeer enter the Christmas tradition? The holiday has a long history of amalgamating customs from various sources. For example, Christmas itself was born from interposing the Christchild on the Roman religious festival of Saturnalia. Later, aspects of the celebration were drawn from Druid religious rites and... Read more
Blue jays are backyard birds that are common across North America. They eat nuts, seeds, fruits, and insects. The blue jay's scientific name means "crested blue chatterer."... Read more
Goofy made his cartoon debut in 1932 in Mickey's Review. This classic character is an anthropomorphic dog and a friend of Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse. He is good-natured but clumsy and accident-prone - thus his name...
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In Greek mythology, Pegasus was a winged horse. It is said that he "sprang from the blood of the Gorgon Medusa as she was beheaded by the hero Perseus." Another hero named Bellerophon captured Pegasus and rode him in battle but fell from his back trying to reach the heavens. Later, Pegasus became a servant of Zeus and was transformed into a starry constellation... Read more
Skunks are mammals native to North and South America. They are highly recognizable due to their bold black and white coloration. They are most well-known, however, for their ability to spray a pungent liquid from glands located beneath their tails, which they use to ward off predators... Read more
Freddy Fazbear is the official mascot of Freddy's Pizza. During the day, he holds a microphone and entertains guests as part of the Freddy Fazbear band, alongside fellow characters Bonnie and Chica. When you're working the security night shift, however, this animatronic teddy bear is not so cuddly... Read more
Bugs Bunny may be one of the most recognizable cartoon characters of all time, second only to Disney's Mickey Mouse. The character was named after his animator and creator, Ben "Bugs" Hardaway. He first made it to the screen in 1938... Read more
Porgs are "small, flat-muzzled avians that flock about the rocks and roost in the cliffs of Luke Skywalker's secluded island" on the uncharted world of Ahch-to. They are round and fluffy, with snouts instead of beaks... Read more
The dinosaurlike Yoshi debuted in the video game Super Mario World in 1990. He is a sidekick of Mario and Luigi... Read more
The first Scooby Doo cartoon series aired in 1969, laying the groundwork for decades of television shows and movies. The title character was a talking Great Dane described as “cowardly and gluttonous but good-natured.” Scooby traveled the country with his friends Shaggy, Fred, Daphne, and Velma, looking for mysteries to solve... Read more
Bull skulls have been used as a form of decoration for millennia, dating back even to the ancient Egyptians. In modern times, bull skulls... Read more