Looking for Final Jeopardy Today for Tuesday, September 23, 2025? Below is a spoiler-labeled rundown of the category, the exact clue, the correct response, and who took the stage. Proceed if you’re ready for answers.
Final Jeopardy Today (September 23, 2025)
The category was Children’s Books. The clue read: “Realizing he couldn’t draw horses, the man behind this 1963 book drew the title characters purely from his imagination.” The correct response was What is Where the Wild Things Are? The prompt taps into Maurice Sendak’s well-known creative pivot and points straight to his Caldecott-winning classic.
It’s an elegant piece of wordplay because the year (1963) and the meta note about not drawing horses both funnel you toward Sendak’s monsters. Fans who pair dates with iconic titles likely recognized it quickly. Others may have reasoned it out by recalling how the book’s images feel imaginative rather than anatomical. Either way, the clue rewarded cultural recall as much as pure literary knowledge.
Who played tonight?
Season 42, Game 12 featured three contestants: returning champion Steven Olson, a band director from Princeton, Illinois, entered with a 2‑day total of $46,406; the challengers were Justin Ames, an employment attorney from Jersey City, New Jersey, and Hester Bass, a writer from Santa Fe, New Mexico (as listed by The Jeopardy! Fan on September 23, 2025). The site’s pregame notes also observed that while Steven has already secured a Champions Wildcard at this point, additional wins would move him closer to a direct Tournament of Champions bid.
By the end of Double Jeopardy, The Jeopardy! Fan’s stats show these scores heading into Final: Steven $27,800, Justin $4,000, and Hester $3,200. That spread put the returning champion in a commanding position, with both newcomers needing a miss from the leader plus a bold wager to flip the outcome. The recap also includes the standard spoiler notice and a reminder that in some U.S. markets the episode can air as early as noon Eastern, which explains why online discussion begins well before prime time.
How the clue played—and why it matters
Clues like this reward broad cultural literacy. Because the category is specific and the year is explicit, contestants can triangulate the answer even if they don’t know the Sendak anecdote. Moreover, the clue’s phrasing nudges players toward a picture book where anatomy would be less central than mood. That combination made tonight’s Final a classic “you either see it or you don’t” moment.
Sendak’s book also carries outsized cultural weight, so it surfaces often across trivia, classroom discussions, and pop culture references. As a result, the title tends to sit near the top of many players’ mental lists for mid‑century children’s literature. That familiarity likely helped at least some viewers solve along at home, even if the studio round played tighter.
Quick reference
- Date: Tuesday, September 23, 2025 (Season 42, Game 12)
- Category: Children’s Books
- Clue: “Realizing he couldn’t draw horses, the man behind this 1963 book drew the title characters purely from his imagination.”
- Correct response: Where the Wild Things Are
- Contestants: Steven Olson (2‑day total $46,406), Justin Ames, Hester Bass
- Scores entering Final: Steven $27,800; Justin $4,000; Hester $3,200
We’ll keep tracking Final Jeopardy Today with clean, fast recaps that cite the original reporting. Come back tomorrow for the next category and clue.
With a collective experience in film analysis and entertainment journalism, our team, comprised of avid movie buffs, has always been on the frontline of exploring cinematic universes, from the enchanting realms of Disney to the action-packed scenes of the MCU.
Our passion has led us to exclusive interviews with notable figures, early access, and active participation in the industry.
Recognized by the press, we dive deep into various genres, including drama, cartoons, comedy, and foreign films, always eager to bring fresh insights to our readers.
Connect with us or explore our journey to learn more about our adventures in unraveling the magic of the big screen.
