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Curious George New Adventures
Curious George Feeds the Animals
George is the irrepressibly curious chimp who has delighted children for more than 50 years with his inadvertent antics. Young readers know better than to trust George on his own, but somehow the man with the yellow hat never seems to learn. Although George's intentions are always good, trouble follows this affable ape like a mischievous little shadow. This time the misadventures take place at the zoo, where George and his friend have gone to see the new rain forest exhibit. Despite the "Do not feed the animals" signs, generous George wants to share his peanuts with the cute koalas; the poor, ravenous alligators; and the friendly giraffes. Pandemonium ensues, but George manages to turn things around--and even save the day!
Although there's something ever so slightly odd about Curious George visiting a zoo, neither he nor the other visitors seem to be bothered by the incongruity, so why should we? Based on the original Curious George character, and written and illustrated in the style of George's creators, this new episode in everybody's favorite impish chimp's life will delight one and all. Featuring the art of Vipah Interactive, the animators of Curious George CD-ROMs, this book will impress even the hardcore traditionalist. Curious about George's other escapades? Try The Complete Adventures of Curious George. (Ages 4 to 8) --Emilie Coulter
24 pages, Hardcover
First published October 26, 1972
17 people are currently reading
218 people want to read
About the author
Margret Rey
241 books122 followersMargret Elizabeth Rey (May 16, 1906 – December 21, 1996), born Margarete Elisabeth Waldstein, was (with her husband H. A. Rey), the co-author and illustrator of children's books, best known for their Curious George
Although she was born in Germany, she fled to Brazil early in her life to escape Nazism. While there, she met her future husband Hans (who was a salesman and also from Germany). They married in 1935 and moved to Paris, France that same year.
While in Paris, Hans's animal drawings came to the attention of French publisher, who commissioned him to write a children's book. The result, Rafi and the Nine Monkeys, is little remembered today, but one of its characters, an adorably impish monkey named Curious George, was such a success that the couple considered writing a book just about him. Their work was interrupted with the outbreak of World War II. As Jews, the Reys decided to flee Paris before the Nazis seized the city. Hans built two bicycles, and they fled Paris just a few hours before it fell. Among the meager possessions they brought with them was the illustrated manuscript of Curious George.
The Reys' odyssey brought them to the Spanish border, where they bought train tickets to Lisbon. From there they returned to Brazil, where they had met five years earlier, but this time they continued to New York, New York. The books were published by Houghton Mifflin in 1941, though certain changes had to be introduced because of the technology of the time. Hans and Margret originally planned to use watercolors to illustrate the books, but since they were responsible for the color separation, he changed these to the cartoon-like images that continue to feature in each of the books. (A collector's edition with the original watercolors was recently released.)
Curious George was an instant success, and the Reys were commissioned to write more adventures of the mischievous monkey and his friend, the Man in the Yellow Hat. They wrote seven stories in all, with Hans mainly doing the illustrations and Margret working mostly on the stories, though they both admitted to sharing the work and cooperating fully in every stage of development. At first, however, Margret's name was left off the cover, ostensibly because there was a glut of women already writing children's fiction. In later editions, this was corrected, and Margret now receives full credit for her role in developing the stories.
Margret and her husband moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1963, in a house close to Harvard Square. Following her husband's death in 1977, Margret continued writing, and in 1979, became a Professor of Creative Writing at Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts. Starting in 1980, she also began to collaborate with Alan Shalleck on a series of short films featuring Curious George and more than two dozen additional books.
In 1989 Margret Rey established the Curious George Foundation to help creative children and prevent cruelty to animals. In 1996, she made major donations to the Boston Public Library and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. She was also a long-time supporter of the Longy School of Music. The Reys spent twenty summers in Waterville Valley, New Hampshire, to enable H.A. Rey to better observe the stars for his astronomy writing. They became an integral part of the Waterville community and their legacy is honored by The Margret and H.A. Rey Center and the Curious George Cottage located there.
Dr. Lena Y. de Grummond, a professor in the field of library science (specializing in children's literature) at The University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Miss. contacted the Reys in 1966 about the university's new children's literature collection. H.A. and Margret made a donation of a pair of sketches at the time. In 1996, after Margret's death, it was revealed in her will that the entire literary estate of the Reys were to be donated to the de Grummond Children's Literature Collection at Southern Miss.
Although she was born in Germany, she fled to Brazil early in her life to escape Nazism. While there, she met her future husband Hans (who was a salesman and also from Germany). They married in 1935 and moved to Paris, France that same year.
While in Paris, Hans's animal drawings came to the attention of French publisher, who commissioned him to write a children's book. The result, Rafi and the Nine Monkeys, is little remembered today, but one of its characters, an adorably impish monkey named Curious George, was such a success that the couple considered writing a book just about him. Their work was interrupted with the outbreak of World War II. As Jews, the Reys decided to flee Paris before the Nazis seized the city. Hans built two bicycles, and they fled Paris just a few hours before it fell. Among the meager possessions they brought with them was the illustrated manuscript of Curious George.
The Reys' odyssey brought them to the Spanish border, where they bought train tickets to Lisbon. From there they returned to Brazil, where they had met five years earlier, but this time they continued to New York, New York. The books were published by Houghton Mifflin in 1941, though certain changes had to be introduced because of the technology of the time. Hans and Margret originally planned to use watercolors to illustrate the books, but since they were responsible for the color separation, he changed these to the cartoon-like images that continue to feature in each of the books. (A collector's edition with the original watercolors was recently released.)
Curious George was an instant success, and the Reys were commissioned to write more adventures of the mischievous monkey and his friend, the Man in the Yellow Hat. They wrote seven stories in all, with Hans mainly doing the illustrations and Margret working mostly on the stories, though they both admitted to sharing the work and cooperating fully in every stage of development. At first, however, Margret's name was left off the cover, ostensibly because there was a glut of women already writing children's fiction. In later editions, this was corrected, and Margret now receives full credit for her role in developing the stories.
Margret and her husband moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1963, in a house close to Harvard Square. Following her husband's death in 1977, Margret continued writing, and in 1979, became a Professor of Creative Writing at Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts. Starting in 1980, she also began to collaborate with Alan Shalleck on a series of short films featuring Curious George and more than two dozen additional books.
In 1989 Margret Rey established the Curious George Foundation to help creative children and prevent cruelty to animals. In 1996, she made major donations to the Boston Public Library and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. She was also a long-time supporter of the Longy School of Music. The Reys spent twenty summers in Waterville Valley, New Hampshire, to enable H.A. Rey to better observe the stars for his astronomy writing. They became an integral part of the Waterville community and their legacy is honored by The Margret and H.A. Rey Center and the Curious George Cottage located there.
Dr. Lena Y. de Grummond, a professor in the field of library science (specializing in children's literature) at The University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Miss. contacted the Reys in 1966 about the university's new children's literature collection. H.A. and Margret made a donation of a pair of sketches at the time. In 1996, after Margret's death, it was revealed in her will that the entire literary estate of the Reys were to be donated to the de Grummond Children's Literature Collection at Southern Miss.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
July 16, 2013
I like to read about George because it gives a great jumping off point for conversation with kids. It is great when you ask them what they would have done and especially what they SHOULD have done. In this one George goes to the zoo and we meet many different animals which is also a teaching moment. George learns a lesson and everything is done in a timely manner. I will say though that George probably needs a more attentive guardian. The man with the yellow hat is not the best at keeping tabs on him.
August 14, 2013
Another great addition to our Curious George collection, this is probably a good level 2 reading book. My 5 yr old loves reading Curious George right now and this was a perfect fit for his reading choice. It's about George getting in trouble at the zoo because he feeds the animals. Luckily, a zookeeper finds a better job for him which ends up making everyone happy. More fun antics in store with this monkey in the this book, that will keep you and your kids happy til the end.
April 29, 2012
Its rather funny how many of Curious George's adventures take place at the zoo. In this book, Curious George learns that he shouldn't feed the animals, but also manages to help the zookeppers find a missing parrot. George always has such eventful days. =)
October 19, 2018
Love it!
September 18, 2023
Curious George is back for another adventure, this time he feeds the animals! George and his friend, the man with the yellow hat, go to the zoo to see the new rainforest exhibit; however, George’s curiosity gets the best of him after he watches the zookeeper feed the animals, so he cannot help but feed the zoo animals too. He gets into a little bit of trouble but ends up saving the day by finding a loose parrot and fixing its broken enclosure. The illustrations help bring George’s innocent mischievousness to life and follow him as he feeds the animals in the zoo. They often use wide angles, really allowing viewers to be in “a position of power” (Nodelman 134). Using these wide angles gives the viewer the power to see a lot all at once and truly see what George is doing. It is funny to see the trail of peanuts he leaves behind and the different animals he has visited and fed. The wide angle also allows for some hidden easter eggs in some of the images. Since there is so much to look at in these wide shots, at first glance a viewer might not see that the lost parrot is actually in many of the illustrations. This makes for a fun game and really tests a viewer’s attentiveness. Curious George is always endearing for children in pre-K to 1st grade and will always be a classic.
June 22, 2023
"Quite a surprise" is the climax of this story.
Oh my, what has Curious George done here? Suffice it to say... All is forgiven, eventually.
WHAT PLEASED ME MOST?
I like the nuance built into this book:
* Yes, George did something naughty.
* But he also did something good.
* Hey, welcome to life for grownups. It can be complicated.
Naturally, the conclusion from the zookeepers is simple: "Please visit anytime," they told George and the man with the yellow hat.
In that spirit of happiness, sure, I'll give this picture book FIVE STARS.
Oh my, what has Curious George done here? Suffice it to say... All is forgiven, eventually.
WHAT PLEASED ME MOST?
I like the nuance built into this book:
* Yes, George did something naughty.
* But he also did something good.
* Hey, welcome to life for grownups. It can be complicated.
Naturally, the conclusion from the zookeepers is simple: "Please visit anytime," they told George and the man with the yellow hat.
In that spirit of happiness, sure, I'll give this picture book FIVE STARS.
May 25, 2025
This feels like an average entry in the 24-page Curious George books my 2-year-old daughter loves equally with the more substantial Rey originals.
Curious George visits the zoo (no reference to having once lived in one) and gets in trouble for feeding the food the Man in the Yellow Hat buys him to the animals... as he should. But an escaped parrot swoops down and steals from him, so by total dumb luck George helps the zookeepers without the guilt of intentionally feeding that parrot. He also uses his climbing skill to repair a hole in the netting around a bird exhibit.
Curious George visits the zoo (no reference to having once lived in one) and gets in trouble for feeding the food the Man in the Yellow Hat buys him to the animals... as he should. But an escaped parrot swoops down and steals from him, so by total dumb luck George helps the zookeepers without the guilt of intentionally feeding that parrot. He also uses his climbing skill to repair a hole in the netting around a bird exhibit.
October 2, 2025
We're so proud of you for reading about Curious George! You learned something really important – that every animal needs special food to stay healthy and strong. Just like the zookeeper knew what each animal should eat, you're learning to make good choices too! When you help feed our pets or choose healthy snacks, you're being a responsible helper, just like George learned to be. You're doing such wonderful work with your reading, sweetheart!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 28, 2018
One of the better Curious George books, but it still has some of the same issues. He wanders off and runs from authority, hides from trouble, but he does fix the netting and learn not to feed animals because you can make them sick if you dont know what they can and can't eat.
February 17, 2022
Curious George doesn’t realize feeding the zoo animals is against the rules. But then he finds a way he can help. Elliot loves George, so this was a winner.
Read-aloud rec: older toddlers and preschoolers
Read-aloud rec: older toddlers and preschoolers
October 10, 2017
Just because you won the rights to Curious George and can legally write stories that superficially look like the originals, does not mean you SHOULD.
May 24, 2018
I'm not a big a fan of Curious George as my 3.75 year old girls are.
May 13, 2019
Read the version with a hippo on the cover.
January 11, 2020
A fun one that Au was really into at 29 months. She would pay attention to every word and was interested in all the photos.
February 25, 2020
Fun trip to the zoo with a good lesson.
February 10, 2021
This was a nice little book with a lesson for children. It was a fun book to read.
September 16, 2021
Me: I loved it when I was a kid and called the baby seals ceilings!
Alex: Grandma Bekka reads it with me too! I like it!
Owen: FLAPS
Alex: Grandma Bekka reads it with me too! I like it!
Owen: FLAPS
March 1, 2022
Eh it was okay bassicly it is a monkey who feeds a lot of animals. It is trying to teach young kids about animals. So basically it is for younger kids.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 5, 2023
Do parrots even eat peanuts?
April 21, 2023
Curious Geogre doesn't know that he's not supposed to feed the animals at the zoo...and also there's a missing parrot.
This was M's first Curious George book, and she seemed to really enjoy it.
This was M's first Curious George book, and she seemed to really enjoy it.
March 23, 2024
George learns the errors of his ways … at a zoo.
September 10, 2024
Cute book about what not to do at the zoo, except that in this one instance it helped with a lost animal? A bit confusing there. 2 year old liked it
December 31, 2025
great book about responsibility
February 7, 2026
Curious George was being naughty and he did something else bad but I'm not telling you what.
April 13, 2019
We love Curious George books!
April 30, 2012
In this Curious George adventure, George and the Man in the Yellow Hat go to the zoo to visit the new Rainforest Exhibit. Unfortunately, it is closed. To pass the time, the Man in the Yellow Hat takes George to the food stand and buys him a bag of peanuts. Before long, George is walking around the zoo sharing his peanuts with the other animals. When a zookeeper sees George and tell him to stop, George runs off. George ends up on a park bench with his bag. Suddenly a parrot flies over to steal some of George's peanuts. It turns out that the parrot is missing from the Rainforest Exhibit. Another zookeeper sees George and hails him a hero for finding the parrot. George becomes even more of a hero when he repairs the hole in the fence the parrot used to fly out of the exhibit. Another great day at the zoo for Curious George!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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February 15, 2015My 3 year old daughter LOVES Curious George. This one confuses me a little... it's "in the style of" not actually "illustrated by" so I'm assuming this one was created after HA Rey's death? Anyway, it's another Curious George book. He does something he thinks is good, but we all know is naughty. Then he does something good, and doesn't have any consequence for the naughty action. Sometimes I hate that about Curious George. But it gets my daughter interested and involved with reading, so can I really nitpick? We talk about his actions being naughty, so that's a start.
July 4, 2014
This was a fun Curious George book. Wasn't to 'involved' for the story line but has lots of various animals in the story. George and the man goes to a trip to the zoo to see a new exhibit. George 'accidentally' gets into trouble by trying to feed the animals he learns later that feeding them may get them sick (which teaches the reader-listener that as well) He does help find a bird that was lost, and he helps fix the cage for him. So his adventure ends out well. My 2 year old granddaughter enjoyed listening and following George in this book.
February 18, 2013
The well-known Curious George is always caught in some trouble and this time it's at the zoo. The clever monkey is accused of letting one of the rarest animals go, but soon enough saves the day instead. This book tells a great story and teaches kids about helping others, even when they may not believe in you at times. The story uses descriptive language and incorporates problem solving skills that kids can learn from for similar situations.
June 3, 2016
Since we were just at Sea World and my daughter enjoys the zoo, we decided that this would be a fun book to read. It's a really cute book following George, the curious little monkey. He gets in to a bit of trouble while trying to feed all the animals peanuts! But of course George saves the day in the end. My daughter really enjoyed seeing all the different animals, from seals to elephants to giraffes. If you have an animal lover, they will enjoy this book!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews