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Curious George
Curious Geoge continues to captivate children with his adventures as much today as in years past. Share his incredible curiosity with your child! Here are some of our most popular Curious George titles.
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Curious George has found a lasting place in the hearts of millions of boys and girls all over the world ever since he was...
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This adaptation of the first direct-to-DVD Curious George movie follows George as he befriends a baby elephant named Kayla...
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When a hungry Curious George visits the zoo, he snatches a pail of bananas from the zookeeper. Though he shouldn't have taken...
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George wants to play outside, but the weather keeps changing his plans! Includes a punch-out weather mobile and instructions...
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George's curiosity gets the better of him at the animal shelter, and soon puppies are everywhere!
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George has fun on the beach feeding the seagulls--until they fly away with something valuable.
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A new toy store is opening and George can't wait. Once George gets inside, the owner thinks his antics may be bad for...
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Curious George gets into mischief while camping but is able to redeem himselfin an emergency.
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While visiting Mt. Rushmore, George and the man with the yellow hat decide to stop at a hot air balloon race. Before long,...
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Curious George inspects the big truck next door to see how it works. Before long he finds that one little lever can mean big...
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George has many friends in his neighborhood and they all have very different jobs. As George travels to some of his favorite...
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When a cuddly koala takes an interest in George's snack at the zoo, George is happy to share. In fact, George is happy to...
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Curious George
Of all the loveable characters in the world of juvenile literature, Curious George stands alone. He doesn’t talk and he doesn’t wear clothes; yet, he communicates beautifully with his audience and has generations of fans.
The cute and cuddly George kids know today belies the extraordinary history of Curious George. His creators, Hans Agusto Rey and Margaret Rey, were both born in Germany and were Jewish. They met in Brazil, where Hans was working as a salesman and Margret had gone to escape the Nazis in Germany. They married in 1935 and moved to Paris that same year.
Both Hans and Margaret were moderately accomplished in the field of publishing by the time Curious George was developed. The first story featuring George was called Cecily G and the Nine Monkeys. In that story, George was named Fifi. That story was published in France in 1939. When the books were translated for a British audience, George was named “Zozo” in order not to use the name of the king, King George VI, for a monkey.
As you might imagine, life for a successful Jewish couple in France became dangerous by 1940. With the manuscripts in-hand for the first books featuring Curious George as the main character we know today, the Reys fled France to Spain on a bicycle they built themselves.
From Spain, the Reys fled to Portugal, then to Brazil and eventually to New York. Once in the United States, the Reys contracted with Houghton Mifflin to publish Curious George as we know him today. The Reys eventually settled in Cambridge, Massachusetts where Hans died in 1977 and Margaret died in 1996.
The books became an instant success in the United States and the books Curious George Takes a Job won the Lewis Carroll Shelf Award in 1960. All in all, the Reys published seven stories. Hans took the credit for the illustrations while Margaret took credit for the stories—although both would readily admit that both endeavors were a team effort.
With the passing years, interest in and the influence of this charming little monkey has only grown. The books the Reys published have been carefully redrawn and republished many times. There was a feature length film made featuring George in 2006. There is also a Curious George video game and a popular PBS series featuring an expanded lineup of stories about George.
Perhaps it’s the wonderful chemistry that the Reys had that spills onto the pages of these books and makes a reader love the stories and the little monkey. George is innocent, trusting and lucky in the outcome of all his adventures.
Although some believe that the modern interpretation of George both in illustration and storytelling is not faithful to the vision of the Reys, the popularity among children has never been greater.
All the curious George books we have available are carefully created and we acknowledge that Houghton Mifflin has cared for the series and this little character very well through the years. You can always buy the versions of the books that are 100% faithful reprints of the original seven books the Reys created in the 1940s. However, we like the modern versions just as well. We’ve yet to meet a child who does not love Curious George and his adventures.
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