Curious George Goes to a Costume Party - Hardcover

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.

ea. vol: adapt. illus. CIP. Houghton. 1986. PLB $8.95; pap. $2.95. PreSGrade 2 No doubt that those children who love the original ``Curious George'' titles (Houghton) will choose to read these booksbut they will surely be disappointed. The text, adapted from a film series, is trite. The plots are slight and lack the richness of language found in the orignal titles. The illustrations seem to be blurry prints of some of the film frames. Even the layout of the text with the illustrations is stagnant. In each of the four books, George is confronted with a problem of singular dimension that he resolves as a result of his curiosity. Children who are just beginning to read about this inquisitive primate will be best served by the many ``original'' titles still in print; the language in them is more stimulating, the plots more satisfying, and the illustrations and layout more interesting. Sharron McElmeel, Cedar Rapids Community Schools, Iowa
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.