The Adventures of Curious George - Softcover

This trio of unabridged paperback miniatures of the classic Curious George titles is sure to please your favorite little monkey. Held together in a paper box, this compact set manages to get a large dose of curious primate into a small space--just what you need for long trips. Curious George is the original story, in which the Man in the Yellow Hat finds George in the jungle and brings him home. In Curious George Rides a Bike, George's antics on his birthday two-wheeler lead to a job in the circus. And Curious George Gets a Medal is the story of how a series of accidents leads George to become an astronaut. All three titles are from the original series, not to be confused with the inferior illustrations (and stories) that came out of the Curious George films. Since the appeal of the always-curious monkey is so intense and apparently so timeless, it's odd (dare we say "curious"?) that the one title to have aged badly is the first, with its very un-modern attitude to the capture of a jungle animal. But even if this bothers parents it's unlikely to be noticed by George's younger devotees. (Ages 3 to 6) --Richard Farr

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.