Curious George [Paperback]

H. A. Rey (Author), Margret Rey (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 5 and up | Grade Level: K and up | Series: Curious George - Level 1

In this, the original book about the curious monkey, George is taken from the jungle by the man in the yellow hat.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This is a pop-up version of the favorite title about the inquisitive monkey who unintentionally wreaks havoc on an entire city just by poking into things. By opening a page or yanking the right tabs, readers can watch George put on the yellow hat (the act that leads to his capture), get rescued from his attempt at flying, and teeter on the telephone lines. The firefighting sequence (when George accidentally calls the fire department) is action-packed, and the final pop-ups, of the monkey with his balloons, are inspired. For modern readers, George's kidnapping may seem severe. But this is a grand adventure in any format, and pop-ups make the still-curious monkey fly. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 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 © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 5 and up
  
• Paperback: 64 pages
• Publisher: HMH Books; 36th printing edition (March 1973)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 039515023X
• ISBN-13: 978-0395150238
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 8.5 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (45 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #104,463 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #31 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Popular Characters > Book Characters > Curious George
  • #49 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Animals > Apes & Monkeys > Fiction

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

47 of 53 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars People, It's a children's book, January 11, 2003

By 

David Michael Cohen (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Curious George (Paperback)

Nothing is sacred to the spectre of political correctness, so the negative reviews of "Curious George" shouldn't surprise me. The reviews likening George's story to the African slave trade are particularly puzzling: children do not think in those terms. I suggest that the folks who complain that it glorifies illegal animal trade read it more closely. George makes a lot of innocent mistakes, he doesn't mean to be bad, but the world is too fascinating for him to resist. He needs to have an authority figure looking out for him, and although he does try to get around the authority figure everyone knows the man with the yellow hat will save George from himself in the end. Yes, George is a monkey, but he is also a metophor for children everywhere. Every child in the world can relate to George, and that is why the books have remained popular for so long.

I loved Curious George as a child, and I am happy that my children love them as much as I do. If any book in the 4-8 age bracket deserves 5 stars it is Curious George.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My daughter's favorite book, July 15, 2000

By 

Robert James (Culver City, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Curious George (Paperback)

Curious George was one of my favorites as a child, and this book has become an obsession for my three-year old. At a time when her own curiosity has gotten her in some deep waters (literally, on one occasion), George has helped her understand her own curiosity -- and it's helped me as a parent remember how curious I was myself. You can't go wrong with Curious George!

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What's wrong with being curious?, May 30, 1999

By 

R. D. Allison ([e-mail]) (Gainesville, Florida, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Curious George (Paperback)

This famous children's book was the first of seven books by Rey about a monkey who is brought to the U. S. from Africa and who seems to have a penchant for getting into trouble. But, his curiosity keeps leading into new adventures and learning new things. The Ann Arbor reviewer of Oct. 7, 1998, clearly is angry at George. If that is the case, why not use the story to teach about rule breaking? I think it is very interesting to learn that the Reys had arrived in New York in 1940, having fled from the Germans invading France. In a way, they were just like George, forced to come to a new world and a new culture. I'll bet they got into trouble every now and then just because of their innocence and their curiosity.