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�
- H.A. Rey�s full name is Hans Augusto Reyersbach.
- Hans was born September 16, 1898 in Hamburg, Germany.
- He grew up near the famous Hagenbeck Zoo, which helped him to cultivate an early interest in animals and drawing.
- 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.
- The book Curious George was first published by Houghton Mifflin in New York in 1941.
- 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.
- Hans and his wife, Margret Rey, worked on creating the Curious George series of books for nearly 30 years, from 1939 to 1966.
- The books have been translated into several languages, including Japanese, French, Afrikaans, Portuguese, Swedish, German, Chinese, Danish and Norwegian.
- All books in the Curious George series have sold more than 25 million copies!
- 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.