Did you know that the Very Hungry Caterpillar was originally just a fat worm named Willi? Or that the author of Charlotte's Web hatched real spiders on top of his dresser? In The Stories Behind the Stories, you'll hear the incredible behind-the-scenes tales of twenty-nine beloved children's classics. Discover the childhood inspiration behind Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the original name of Curious George, the mysterious origin of Mother Goose, and what happened when Maurice Sendak told his editor he couldn't draw wild horses (spoiler alert: he drew wild things instead).

Stories and rhymes by Mother Goose -- The night before Christmas -- The tale of Peter Rabbit -- Peter and Wendy -- The Boxcar Children -- Winnie-the-Pooh -- Nancy Drew mystery stories -- The Hobbit -- Curious George -- Goodnight Moon -- Henry Huggins -- The lion, the witch, and the wardrobe -- Charlotte's web -- To kill a mockingbird -- Green eggs and ham -- Where the red fern grows -- A wrinkle in time -- Where the wild things are -- Charlie and the chocolate factory -- The giving tree -- The very hungry caterpillar -- Roll of thunder, hear my cry -- The magic school bus -- The Watsons go to Birmingham -1963 -- Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone -- Captain Underpants -- A series of unfortunate events -- Percy Jackson and the Olympians -- Diary of a wimpy kid.