‘Curious’ Author of the Month: H.A. Rey

Feeling inquisitive about our Author of the Month, H.A. Rey? You’re in luck. We rounded up some interesting facts about the man behind Curious George and his celebrated series of books.

Our Preschool, Pre-K and Kindergarten Enrichment students are exploring these books in all sorts of ways – through reading and literacy exercises, art and other related activities. Take advantage that they’re tuned in to Curious George right now and share some of these tidbits of information to show that you’re also engaged with what they’re learning in school!

Did you know…

1. H.A. Rey’s full name is Hans Augusto Reyersbach.
2. Hans was born September 16, 1898 in Hamburg, Germany.
3. He grew up near the famous Hagenbeck Zoo, which helped him to cultivate an early interest in animals and drawing.
4. Curious George was originally one of the characters in Cecily G. and the Nine Monkeys, a book Hans was commissioned to write by a French publisher after seeing Rey’s cartoons of a giraffe in the newspaper.
5. The book Curious George was first published by Houghton Mifflin in New York in 1941.
6. In 1960, Curious George Takes a Job was given the Lewis Carroll Shelf Award, a literary recognition for books deserving to be ‘on the same shelf’ as Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass.
7. Hans and his wife, Margret Rey, worked on creating the Curious George series of books for nearly 30 years, from 1939 to 1966.
8. The books have been translated into several languages, including Japanese, French, Afrikaans, Portuguese, Swedish, German, Chinese, Danish and Norwegian.
9. All books in the Curious George series have sold more than 25 million copies!
10. The Curious George Foundation continues the Rey’s and the series’ legacy by funding programs for children who, like George, demonstrate ingenuity, opportunity, determination and curiosity in learning and exploring.