Monkey Business: Are You Curious About George?

Margret Elizabeth Rey (May 16, 1906 – December 21, 1996) was a German-born American writer and illustrator, known best for the Curious George series of children's picture books that she and her husband H.A. Rey created from 1939 to 1966. Curious George is the protagonist of a series of popular children's books by the same name, written by H. A. Rey and Margret Rey. The books feature a brown monkey named George, who is brought from his home in Africa by "The Man with The Yellow Hat" to live with him in a big city. Here are some fun facts about the infamous Curious George: 1. Curious George Was Not George's First Appearance Curious George's made his first appearance in the children's world in Cecily G and the Nine Monkeys, which was published in France in 1939. But don't think you are going to see this well-known character we all grew to love referred to as George, in this book. In the intro, "Jimmy, the brave monkey" is standing next to his brother, Fifi. It is Fifi who would later become known as Curious George. 2. George's Name Was Zozo In England When Curious George was published in 1941, King George was the king of England. So as not to be disrespectful to the king by associating him with a monkey, Curious George was called Zozo. 3. Margret's name was not initially credited Margret's name was left off the cover, ostensibly because there was a glut of women already writing children's fiction. In later editions, this was corrected, and Margret now receives full credit for her role in developing the stories. Did you know Curious George went to the hospital? Click "Next" to see why 4. Curious George Goes To The Hospital Was Written Specifically For A Hospital The Reys created Curious George Goes to the Hospital at the request of officials at Boston Children's Hospital, who wanted a book to prepare children for a hospital stay. After it was published, many parents wrote to the Reys to tell them how effective the book was in reducing their child's fear of hospitals. 5. Curious George Has Different Names All Over The World Curious George has been translated into many languages, including Yiddish, Afrikaans, Braille, Japanese, French, Portuguese, Swedish, German, Chinese, Danish, and Norwegian: Afrikaans: "Eienaardige George" Danish: Peter Pedal Dutch: Nieuwsgierig Aapje Finnish: Utelias Vili French: Georges le singe German: Coco Hebrew: HaSakran Norwegian: Nysgjerrige Nils Swedish: Nicke Nyfiken Yiddish: Dzshordzsh der naygeriḳer Want to see more facts about Curious George? Click "Next" To Continue https://youtu.be/N4vqfyjFMnA Do you know what famous characters were fans of Curious George? Click "Next" To Find out: 6. The Reys' Own Adventures Influenced Curious George's Adventures Both Hans and Margret were very fond of animals, and their first stop in a new city was always the zoo. Hans smoked a pipe; they lived among palm trees in Brazil; they rode out of Paris on bicycles; and they left Europe on an ocean liner. 7. The Man with the Yellow Hat Didn't Have A Name Aside from George himself, the only recurring character in the original adventures is the unnamed Man with the Yellow Hat. In Curious George (2006), the Man is referred to as "Ted" and his last name is revealed as being "Shackleford" in a deleted scene. 8. Curious George Was Forrest Gump's Favorite Book In the 1994 film Forrest Gump, one edition of Curious George (one with a yellow cover but no other title than Curious George) is used as Forrest's favorite book, which his mother reads to him. In the opening scene a feather comes floating down to Forrest's feet and he stores it in this book. At the end of the film it falls out of the book and rises floating through the air again. 9. Curious George Fled From Nazi Germany When World War II broke the Reys (as Jews) needed to escape Paris before the Nazis seized the city. They fled on two hand built bicycles that Hans had constructed so could only take a few possessions with them, including the illustrated manuscript of Curious George. https://youtu.be/vz8dgo9c7ZY 10. Two Mice Were The Influence Of One Book A newspaper clipping about two mice that were sent into space to study the effects of weightlessness inspired the story of George's own space flight in Curious George Gets a Medal. Enjoy this: Still Curious? Click Curious About George to read FULL facts! RELATED READS: 75 Years And Still Golden! Highlights Magazine Publishing Fun With A Purpose Since 1946 The Great Era of Banana Seats & Monkey Handlebars A Beloved Little Tikes Car For Adults? Walt Disney Read Along Books With Records Literary Classics That Have Been Banned From Bookshelves Comic Books Life Lessons From Dr. Seuss Life Lessons From Judy Blume Peter Pan: From Fairy Tale to Film