Curious George

by H. A. Rey

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

On the list of iconic children’s book characters, Curious George is always going to be a tough one to unseat. This is where it all began, the very first excursion of everyone’s favorite little monkey.

On June 14, 1940, Hans and Margret Rey fled Paris as the German army invaded the city. Escaping on bicycles, they took only winter coats and four picture books strapped to the racks. Among those books were the watercolors and a rough text for Fifi, later known to the world as Curious George.

However, when Curious George was actually published in the United States in 1941, these original watercolors were not used for the printing. Hans Rey was required by his editor to redraw the entire book, creating preseparated art, so that costs would be minimal. The Reys retained the original art and would, on rare occasion, treat carefully chosen friends and collectors to George as he was first envisioned in Paris those many years ago. During their lifetimes they parted with only five pieces of the extraordinary art.

For this edition, the original Curious George drawings have been retrieved and reassembled, using modern reproductive techniques. For readers, comparing the originals - hat for hat and grin for grin - against their published counterparts will be intriguing and a great deal of fun. Now all of George's millions of friends can experience what only a few people have ever seen: George "in the act of becoming himself."

Throughout their lives the Reys created many lively titles together, but it is their incorrigible little monkey Curious George who has become an American icon, selling millions of books and capturing the hearts of readers everywhere.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781442053144
Publisher:	Baker & Taylor, CATS
Publication date:	05/21/2009
Series:	Curious George Series
Pages:	56
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 10.25(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	5 - 8 Years

About the Author

H. A. Rey and his wife, Margret, first introduced the world to the bighearted, fun-loving, mischievous hero Curious George in 1941, and young readers have been in love with him ever since. Curious George has been successfully adapted into a major motion picture and an Emmy-winning television show on PBS, and Pretzel and the Puppies, based on their picture books, is a streaming series on Apple TV+. curiousgeorge.com; pretzelandthepuppies.com

Margret and H. A. Rey created many books during their lives together, including Curious George, one of the most treasured classics of all time, as well as other favorites like Pretzel, Spotty, and Find the Constellations. They had many pets—including two marmoset monkeys that joined them on one of their steamship journeys across the Atlantic. Committed philanthropists in their own lives, a portion of proceeds from each Curious George book sold flows to the Curious George Foundation, which funds programs for children that encourage inquisitiveness in learning and exploring. Curious George has been successfully adapted into a major motion picture and an Emmy-winning television show on PBS and “Pretzel and the Puppies,” based on their picture books, is a streaming series on Apple TV+. www.curiousgeorge.com www.pretzelandthepuppies.com

Place of Birth:

Hamburg, Germany; Margret in 1906, and H.A. in 1898

Place of Death:

Cambridge, Massachusetts; Margret died in 1996, H.A. in 1977

Website:

http://www.curiousgeorge.com

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"Children will welcome with great delight this fourth book about the engaging little monkey." Horn Book Guide

Editorial Reviews

The first adventure in this highlyi popular series tells how the little monkey Curious George, caught in the jungle and brought back to the city by a man in a yellow hat, can't help being interested in all the new things around him. Though well meaning, George's curiosity always gets him into trouble. Young readers can easily relate, and Rey's cheerful illustrations celebrate Curious George's innocence.

Barnes & Noble Staff

PreS-Gr 3-The timeless antics of Curious George are given new life in this read-along series, which faithfully follows the text of each story. A male narrator, accompanied by minimal musical interludes and sound effects, reads the story, once with page-turn signals and once without on each CD. Sounds effects occasionally explain pertinent parts of the unspoken story, like a splash in the water when George takes a dive into the ocean. Curious George Feeds the Animals has a female reader, with a male counterpart reading the Man with the Yellow Hat's lines. Margaret and H.A. Rey's original character has been entertaining children for decades, but it's hard to imagine a child today who wouldn't be puzzled by The Man with the Yellow Hat plucking George from his environment and transporting him to another country, George's imprisonment (and jail-break!) for inadvertently dialing the fire department while playing with the phone, or the fact that the Man in the Yellow Hat leaves his charge unattended when he takes him to a movie. Still, a naughty anthropomorphic monkey is entertaining, and adults may want to take the opportunity to explain to pint-sized listeners that their monkey-shines won't warrant the same results. Curious George certainly deserves a spot on the shelf, and these engaging stories will provide a good exercise in imagination and creativity. A solid choice, especially with an all-new animated adventure based on the classic tales debuting as a feature film in February 2006.-Kirsten Martindale, formerly Menomonie Public Library, WI Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

"Small children will wear the book out with affection." Horn Book —

From the Publisher