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Curious George New Adventures
Curious George Takes a Train
George makes a new friend and saves the day before his train even leaves the station in this storybook with bonus activities.
Curious George is excited for a train trip with the man with the yellow hat, but when he tries to help out the station master, he gets himself into trouble. All is forgiven, though, when George helps a new friend in need and gets to ride up front with the conductor. Bonus connect-the-dots, fun facts, and telling time activities inside.
Curious George is excited for a train trip with the man with the yellow hat, but when he tries to help out the station master, he gets himself into trouble. All is forgiven, though, when George helps a new friend in need and gets to ride up front with the conductor. Bonus connect-the-dots, fun facts, and telling time activities inside.
24 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
24 people are currently reading
211 people want to read
About the author
Margret Rey
242 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 50 reviews
May 26, 2022
Phooey On the Man With the Yellow Hat.
I somehow never noticed before, but the Man With the Yellow Hat is neglectful. He is definitely a poor guardian for George.
He takes George to the train station for a trip. Soon as he gets there he lets George’s hand go. Now George is on the loose.
George already have a reputation for getting into trouble and that’s just what happens.
The Man With the Yellow Hat needs to lose custody of George.
I somehow never noticed before, but the Man With the Yellow Hat is neglectful. He is definitely a poor guardian for George.
He takes George to the train station for a trip. Soon as he gets there he lets George’s hand go. Now George is on the loose.
George already have a reputation for getting into trouble and that’s just what happens.
The Man With the Yellow Hat needs to lose custody of George.
February 7, 2018
My grandson's favorite book.
February 6, 2015
The man in the yellow hat really needs a name....
On another note: does this monkey ever get in trouble?
On another note: does this monkey ever get in trouble?
February 12, 2022
A very sweet story.
May 25, 2025
Curious George lives with his friend, the Man in the Yellow Hat. Today they're taking a train to the country with their friend, Mrs. Needleman...
Wait, when did they make friends with this woman? We'll see her at least one more time, unnamed but with the same unmistakable hairdo, in "Curious George and the Birthday Surprise". Who is she: relative/neighbor/love interest?
Anyway, George ruins everyone else's ability to get on the right train by rearranging the notice board, then hides in a trash can and notices a little boy about to endanger his life, so he saves him.
An average installment in this long series.
Wait, when did they make friends with this woman? We'll see her at least one more time, unnamed but with the same unmistakable hairdo, in "Curious George and the Birthday Surprise". Who is she: relative/neighbor/love interest?
Anyway, George ruins everyone else's ability to get on the right train by rearranging the notice board, then hides in a trash can and notices a little boy about to endanger his life, so he saves him.
An average installment in this long series.
July 23, 2022
Another Curious George adventure where George gets away from the man with the yellow hat. This time they are in a train station and George creates a great deal of confusion when he switches the numbers on the train schedules. However, he also saves a little boy who is chasing a ball rolling towards the tracks. Readers who enjoy Curious George stories and picture books about trains will appreciate this one.
May 30, 2021
I'm unsure why this even needed to be written, when Curious George at the Railroad Station already exists. It didn't really update anything, and why would you want to read the story reworded by a new author when the Rey duo has already done it?
April 25, 2023
Curious George Takes a Train follows the standard Curious George formula: George tries to be helpful by mimicking adults that he sees, gets into trouble, then uses his monkey powers to save the day. I found this installment even more predictable and melodramatic than most. Little kids will relate to it and enjoy the bright colors, but parents may find it tedious and formulaic.
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March 2, 2026Dear Sarah, we are so proud of you for reading Curious George Takes a Train. You learned that being curious is wonderful, but we must also listen, stay safe, and think before we act. A new idea you learned is how trains follow rules and schedules. You can use this by following steps at school and home. Great job, our sweet reader. Keep shining! We love your hard work always.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 21, 2021
George is at the train station to take a trip with Mrs. Needleman, and the man with the yellow hat. George decides to help with the schedule board, and causes some confusion. George makes a new friend when he helps a boy retrieve his toy train.
June 18, 2018
Curious George is an unrepentant asshole who never has to learn a lesson.
November 2, 2018
Eh. Maybe because I've read several Curious George stories to my children today, but this one seemed to be trying too hard to seem like it was written by the original author and in his era.
April 22, 2021
Classic Curious George antics and in the end saves the day.
May 13, 2021
What a great book
October 6, 2021
Never liked this one as a kid and still don’t
March 9, 2022
A very childish book but learns how to behave.
June 23, 2024
Another cute Curious George classic. I will always love the art in these books.
Want to read
June 26, 2024SM
May 13, 2025
This was one of our reads at Preschool Story Time this week (train theme)- it was such a cute story, and the kids can never get enough of George and his antics!!
November 14, 2022
this book is good
February 18, 2014
Reye, H.A, Margret. (2002). Curious greoge takes a train. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company.
It is earl morning when George and the man with the yellow hat arrived at the train station. At the train station they met Mrs. Needleman and were on their way to the country. The train station was very busy, and the people there seemed busy too. There were a group of people looking up towards the train master to see when their train was arriving/ leaving. All of the sudden the master was called away and to George it did not look like he was finished. George hopped up and began placing numbers and letters in different places. Though George was just trying to help, it actually confused the guest and they began to get mad. The train master was mad as well. Quickly George jumped down and found a hiding spot. While he was hiding he spotted a young boy that was not listening to his dad and went where he was not suppose to. He then got locked behind a gate. The boy became upset, and his toy started going toward train tracks. The little boy than ran after it. George helped again. This time, he saved the little boy from falling into the tracks, and saved his toy. George saved the day! The train master then found the boy and George and was just about to scold George when the boy's father told him not to that he saved the day. Then George's train was ready and it turned out that the boy and George were on the same train! The boy then asked his dad if they could ride together. Everyone thought that was a good idea and the conductor found a special spot for them both. Ride at the front of the train! I liked this story. It was cute. I liked that George was just trying to help even though he just ended up confusing everyone, and eventually really did save the day. I give this story 5/5.
It is earl morning when George and the man with the yellow hat arrived at the train station. At the train station they met Mrs. Needleman and were on their way to the country. The train station was very busy, and the people there seemed busy too. There were a group of people looking up towards the train master to see when their train was arriving/ leaving. All of the sudden the master was called away and to George it did not look like he was finished. George hopped up and began placing numbers and letters in different places. Though George was just trying to help, it actually confused the guest and they began to get mad. The train master was mad as well. Quickly George jumped down and found a hiding spot. While he was hiding he spotted a young boy that was not listening to his dad and went where he was not suppose to. He then got locked behind a gate. The boy became upset, and his toy started going toward train tracks. The little boy than ran after it. George helped again. This time, he saved the little boy from falling into the tracks, and saved his toy. George saved the day! The train master then found the boy and George and was just about to scold George when the boy's father told him not to that he saved the day. Then George's train was ready and it turned out that the boy and George were on the same train! The boy then asked his dad if they could ride together. Everyone thought that was a good idea and the conductor found a special spot for them both. Ride at the front of the train! I liked this story. It was cute. I liked that George was just trying to help even though he just ended up confusing everyone, and eventually really did save the day. I give this story 5/5.
June 13, 2016
Synopsis: "Curious George heads to the train station to take a trip with the Man with the Yellow Hat, but when he tries to help out the station master, he gets himself into trouble. George finds himself a hiding place—only to discover that his help is really needed when a little boy’s toy train is about to fall onto the tracks. NEW on inside and back covers: connect-the-dots, fun facts, and telling time activities."
My Review: I feel like we have read this book before or seen the TV episode. Maybe it was part of a longer, earlier print of Curious George? Anyway typical George tries to help out but only causes more havoc, but he also saves the day and ends up being rewarded. Munchkin didn't have much of an attention span for this book, he lacks interest in both trains and is loosing interest in George. I guess maybe the age period of Curious George is shorter lived than I expected.
My Review: I feel like we have read this book before or seen the TV episode. Maybe it was part of a longer, earlier print of Curious George? Anyway typical George tries to help out but only causes more havoc, but he also saves the day and ends up being rewarded. Munchkin didn't have much of an attention span for this book, he lacks interest in both trains and is loosing interest in George. I guess maybe the age period of Curious George is shorter lived than I expected.
April 5, 2011
Curious George books have been around a long time. This is one of my old favorites. This book is about George taking a train. He sees a man adjusting the scheduling board. He offers his help and totally messes up the board and confuses the passengers in the process. But George redeems himself when he saves a little boys toy train from rolling down into the train tracks. He and the kid becomes buddies. They realize they are taking the same train. The captain reserves them seats at the front of the train. This is a great book about redemption, even if you mess up, you an always make it up by doing something great for someone else. This book is another great book to read to the class. It promotes friendship and classroom community.
June 26, 2013
In "Curious George Takes a Train," Curious George wrecks havoc in a train station and then saves a little boy's toy from falling onto the rail road tracks, the little boy close behind. Then he and the boy get to ride in the front of the train, with the engineer. Please note that this books is IN THE STYLE OF Margaret & H. A. Rey, not done by them. If you're looking for a modern update without weird imperialism or drug/alcohol use (brandy, a cigar, ether) and a slightly shorter story, this might work for you. It lacks a lot of the character and charm that redeem the original books, although the art is pretty spot on.
September 12, 2010
Everyone's favorite monkey is back in one of his most exciting adventures yet. In this book, Curious George takes a trip to the train station, where he tried to help by reorganizing the train locations and times, but eventually resulted in chaos.
The illustrations in this book are just as amusing and detailed as they have been for years. No matter what age the readers are, they will still delight in seeing what mischief George will get himself into next.
This story greatly contributes to the classic love that we all have for Curious George and his friend The Man With the Yellow Hat.
The illustrations in this book are just as amusing and detailed as they have been for years. No matter what age the readers are, they will still delight in seeing what mischief George will get himself into next.
This story greatly contributes to the classic love that we all have for Curious George and his friend The Man With the Yellow Hat.
February 2, 2014
I love how George was trying to help the train master place numbers and letters on the arrivals and departures board. Instead he just mixed everything up. Oops. George gets caught so he runs off and hides. Then a little boy sees a train and runs toward it but it's not his train. The gate closes and he cries while his toy train is rolling away. The boy then runs after it but George catches it before the little boy gets too close. What a close call! The little boy and George end up being on the same train and ride together.
August 14, 2009
If you're going to read Curious George books, they should probably be the not original ones, they are a little bit shorter and therefore better for the intended audience. They lack some of the original flavor but they get the basic premise though. George makes everyone angry by messing around but saves the day later. You gotta love Curious George.
January 26, 2013
The kids all loved this book. For those who attended the Grand Central field trip, they had a point of reference for George's antics in the train station. For those who didn't go to Grand Central, they were just excited to see Curious George on the cover. Once the story started, though, it seemed like everyone could get on the same page. It was nice to have this as part of Hello Circle!
August 25, 2013
I'm giving this a 1-star because the story takes place in a train station and George does not actually ride the train until the last page. So, if you are expecting a Curious George story plus a train story, get ready to be disappointed.
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More children's book reviews at:
http://www.aliciafinnnoack.com
March 28, 2014
I liked this Curious George book better than some of his others. He gets in to mischief but not majorly into trouble AND he helps save a little boy from danger. So helps teach children what happens when you are in a crowd and you go away from your parents but also teaches to help others too. A nice George book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews