Curious George Learns the Alphabet Book & Cassette (Carry Along Book & Cassette Favorites) [Paperback]

H. A. Rey (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 28, 1998 | Series: Carry Along Book & Cassette Favorites

Readers learn the alphabet along with George as the man in the yellow hat teaches the curious monkey how to read.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 2-These classic stories are as charming and relevant today as when they were written decades ago. Youngsters will identify with the curious little monkey and his understanding friend, the man in the yellow hat. H.A. Rey's artwork does not feel dated due to its cartoon style. The audiocassettes follow the standard format, with distinct page-turning signals on one side and uninterrupted reading on the other side. Happy, original music and sound effects enhance the narration, with either a male or female narrator used on each cassette. The narration is clear, easy to follow, and makes for enjoyable listening. Curious George Learns the Alphabet is especially good for bilingual students whose primary language uses a different alphabet. In this story, capital and lower case letters are turned into animals and common objects beginning with that letter. All three packages are appropriate for listening stations in early elementary classrooms or for home use.
Marilyn Hersh, Hillside Elementary School, Farmington Hills, MI
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"A delightful way to meet the alphabet." School Library Journal, Starred

--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Paperback: 80 pages
• Publisher: HMH Books; Pap/Cas edition (September 28, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395891132
• ISBN-13: 978-0395891131
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 9.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,817,283 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Hans Augusto Rey was born in Hamburg, Germany in 1898. As a child, he spent much of his free time in that city's famous Hagenbeck Zoo drawing animals. After serving in the army during World War I, he studied philology and natural science at the University of Hamburg. He then married Margret Rey and they moved to Montmartre for four years. The manuscript for the first Curious George books was one of the few items the Reys carried with them on their bicycles when they escaped from Paris in 1940. Eventually, they made their way to the United States, and Curious George was published in 1941. Curious George has been published in many languages, including French, German, Japanese, Afrikaans, and Norwegian. Additional Curious George books followed, as well as such other favorites as CECILY G. AND THE NINE MONKEYS and FIND THE CONSTELLATIONS.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars H.A. Rey uses good learning skills, October 7, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Curious George Learns the Alphabet (Turtleback)

H.A. Rey uses good learning skills to teach children the alphabet. He uses visual education by making the letters into animals and people that the letter resembles. And he also uses good repetition after introducing the letter by using phrases that have the perticular letter in it and he highlights the letter used to make it stand out for the child. This book makes learning the alphabet fun and easy. It is original and playful, but what book with curious george isn't?

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Learn letters with Curious George, September 14, 2004

By 

Kara Reuter (Columbus, OH) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Curious George Learns the Alphabet (Curious George - Level 1) (Paperback)

In H. A. Rey's Curious George Learns the Alphabet, the man in the yellow hat teaches George how to read. George learns each of the letters of the alphabet as the man in the yellow hat relates both the upper- and lower-case letters to an object it resembles, starting with the letter. So, "A" is the open mouth of an alligator, while "a" is a piece of an apple; "M" is a mailman and "m" is a mouse; "R" is a rabbit and "r" is a rooster. Each letter receives a two-page spread. The illustrations are typical Rey drawings with a great deal of personality; within the object representing the letter, the form of the letter is easily recognizable, superimposed on the object with thick black lines. Some of the letter-objects are a little peculiar, but children who are just learning that letters represent sounds and objects will delight in the wacky illustrations of a spotted "J"-bodied jaguar, a man with an "n" for a nose, and the "q"-headed quarterback. The narrative lessons on letters are interrupted a few times with interludes for George to play football and buy doughnuts. Beneath the illustrations, each time the featured letter appears in the text (whether at the beginning, middle, or end of the word), it is highlighted with color. In the story, George and the man in the yellow hat helpfully model the instructional process. Although focused on letters and their shapes, because this book also tells a story, Curious George Learns the Alphabet offers a good way to first introduce the concept of letters, sounds, and words to children who are not yet focused directly on the alphabet. More advanced readers will also be able to focus on letter sounds and letters in the context of words and sentences.

3.0 out of 5 stars A Good Supplement for Learning the Alphabet, November 12, 2009

By 

Shanna A. Gonzalez "eyelevelbooks.com" (Gaithersburg, MD) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Curious George Learns the Alphabet (Curious George - Level 1) (Paperback)

This book is different from the rest of the classic Curious George series, because it is primarily devoted to introducing each letter of the alphabet by transforming the letter into an animal or other object. This device makes the letters memorable, and many of the letter-pictures are accompanied by sidebar-style scenes and commentary in the margin. There is just enough humor to help retain interest, as George takes breaks to make up silly words, play football, and go out for doughnuts (mischievously changing the Man in the Yellow Hat's note from "One dozen" to "ten dozen.") But this is really an alphabet lesson disguised as a story, and might not be a big hit with children who aren't ready to learn the alphabet.

One nice feature is that the authors have made sure the letter in focus appears frequently in the explanatory text, and have used color to highlight each instance of it. This makes the text a bit contrived, but it does help the fledgling reader see how the letters he or she is learning are used to create the words of the story.

While this book shouldn't be the primary introduction to the letters of the alphabet, it is a good supplement for an alphabet lesson, especially for children who have enjoyed the other Curious George books.