Happy Valentine's Day, Curious George!

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Overview

George and his friends celebrate Valentine’s Day with decorating, baking, card making and some unexpected hilarity along the way! Just how much mischief can a curious little monkey get into when balloons, frosting, and glitter are involved? Fold-out flaps on each scene reveal lively surprises in this humorous celebration of friendship. Sparkly red foil shines on the cover and throughout the book.

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.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

As George and friends decorate for Valentine's Day, foldout flaps reveal the upshots of George's curiosity. George tests to see how big his heart-shaped balloon can get (under the flap, the balloon explodes, "pop!"), juggles three tubes of cookie icing, and experiments with a big box of decorations. Fans should appreciate Young's illustrations, in classic Rey style, which are tweaked with red foil accents and interactive features. Ages 3–7. (Jan.)

Children's Literature

Who does not know that lovably mischievous monkey, George? The Man with the Yellow Hat is having a Valentine's Day party for all the neighborhood children. As usual, George is curious. He is determined to help decorate the house even if it means popping a few balloons, juggling the tubes of frosting, and making a special card for the Man. For George the big box filled with all the creative makings for cards becomes a distraction as he imagines all the things it can be. At the party's end when the kids all search for the missing monkey, he pops out of the box to a loud Happy Valentine's Day cheer from his friends. The story is very simple and straightforward and does lack the more developed story line of the original works by Rey. But for young fans of the little monkey, his affable antics and insatiable curiosity will ring true. Little fingers will happily lift the flaps to reveal the mischief and mayhem. The fold-out flaps may not hold up with heavy library use. Reviewer: Beverley Fahey

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780547131078
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Publication date: 1/3/2011
Pages: 14
Sales rank: 41,596
Age range: 3 - 7 Years
Series: Curious George Series
Product dimensions: 8.20 (w) x 8.30 (h) x 0.40 (d)

Meet the Author

H. A. and Margret Rey

Biography

In their nearly 40-year-long professional collaboration, the husband-and-wife team of Margret and H. A. Rey created one of the most memorable figures in 20th-century children’s literature: Curious George, the little monkey with an insatiable appetite for adventure.

The Reys, like George, had tremendous zest for travel and new experience. Both were born in Germany, H. A. (Hans Augusto) in 1898, and Margret (Margarete Elisabeth Waldstein) in 1906. Although the two became acquainted in their homeland, they fell in love after each moved to Rio de Janeiro, where they married in 1935. Their honeymoon led them to Paris, where Hans published his first book for children, Cecily G. and the Nine Monkeys, introducing Curious George as a peripheral character.

In 1940 the Reys, both of whom were Jewish, fled Paris as the Nazis mounted their invasion of the city, making their way by bicycle to Spain, by train to Lisbon, then to Brazil, New York City, and finally Cambridge, Massachusetts, where they made their home. The few belongings they carried with them from Europe included the manuscript of Curious George, which Houghton Mifflin published in 1941. Together they created six more classic Curious George adventures: Curious George Flies a Kite, Curious George Gets a Medal, Curious George Learns the Alphabet, Curious George Goes to the Hospital, Curious George Rides a Bike, and Curious George Takes a Job.

Like Babar, Bambi, Pippi Longstocking, and countless other children’s book characters, George is, for all purposes, an orphan, one who was separated from his family. (He was kidnapped, in fact, by The Man with the Yellow Hat, who has gained his own degree of fame through the series.) Admonished to stay home and be good, George invariably lets his curiosity get the better of him and winds up in some kind of trouble every time: in jail, on a runaway cow, kidnapped by circus promoters, or in the hospital. In a possible nod to the Reys’s own hair-raising escape from the Nazis, every story involves an antic chase scene. And every story ends in a happy reunion with the man with the yellow hat, who is George’s trainer, keeper, teacher, disciplinarian, and parental figure.

According to their publisher, the Reys were not just a writer/designer team. Although Hans was primarily focused on ideas and illustrations, and Margret on writing, their work often overlapped. The result was pure magic. The Curious George books transcend time and space, driven by a sincere understanding of the forces that propel children: curiosity, resourcefulness, and love of home.

Good To Know

H. A. Rey also independently produced a series of astronomy books (including Find the Constellations), and Margret wrote Pretzel, about a dachshund, and Spotty, about a rabbit, with H. A. Rey’s illustrations. They lived in Cambridge, Massachusetts until their deaths, H. A. Rey’s in 1977 and Margret Rey’s in 1996.

Margret's name does not appear on some of the earlier Curious George collaborations because, she said, "When we first came to America our publisher suggested we use my husband's name because the children's book field was so dominated by women. They thought it would sell better. After a time I thought 'why the devil did I do that?' So since then my name has appeared also."

1. Also Known As:
  
  Hans Augusto Rey and Margarete Elisabeth Waldstein (full names)
1. Place of Death:
  
  Cambridge, Massachusetts; Margret died in 1996, H.A. in 1977
1. Website:
  
  http://www.curiousgeorge.com

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Happy Valentine's Day, Curious George!

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Overview

Customers Who Bought This Also Bought

More About This Book

Overview

Related Subjects

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

Children's Literature

Product Details

Meet the Author

H. A. and Margret Rey

Biography

Good To Know

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