What do you think?
Curious George New Adventures
Curious George at the Aquarium
Beluga whales! Sea lions! Sharp-toothed piranhas! Curious George at the Aquarium is a lively story based on H. A. and Margret Rey’s popular primate and painted in the original watercolour and charcoal style. The aquarium is the perfect place for a little monkey to get into big trouble.
A full-colour twenty-four-page paperback with bonus activities and fun facts about sea life from the director of Connecticut’s Mystic Aquarium.
A full-colour twenty-four-page paperback with bonus activities and fun facts about sea life from the director of Connecticut’s Mystic Aquarium.
24 pages, Paperback
First published October 29, 1984
About the author
H.A. Rey
597 books222 followersHans Augusto Rey was born on September 16, 1898, in Hamburg, Germany. He grew up there near the world-famous Hagenbeck Zoo, and developed a lifelong love for animals and drawing. Margarete Elisabeth Waldstein (who would be known to most of the world as Margret Rey) was also born in Hamburg on May 16, 1906. The two met briefly when Margret was a young girl, before she left Hamburg to study art. They were reunited in 1935 in Rio de Janeiro, where Hans was selling bathtubs as part of a family business and Margret was escaping the political climate in Germany. Margret convinced Hans to leave the family business, and soon they were working together on a variety of projects.
Hans and Margret were married in Brazil on August 16, 1935, and they moved to Paris after falling in love with the city during their European honeymoon. It was there that Hans published his first children’s book, after a French publisher saw his newspaper cartoons of a giraffe and asked him to expand upon them. Raffy and the Nine Monkeys (Cecily G. and the Nine Monkeys in the British and American editions) was the result, and it marked the debut of a mischievous monkey named Curious George.
After Raffy and the Nine Monkeys was published, the Reys decided that Curious George deserved a book of his own, so they began work on a manuscript that featured the lovable and exceedingly curious little monkey. But the late 1930s and early ’40s were a tumultuous time in Europe, and before the new manuscript could be published, the Reys—both German Jews—found themselves in a horrible situation. Hitler and his Nazi party were tearing through Europe, and they were poised to take control of Paris.
Knowing that they must escape before the Nazis took power, Hans cobbled together two bicycles out of spare parts. Early in the morning of June 14, 1940, the Reys set off on their bicycles. They brought very little with them on their predawn flight — only warm coats, a bit of food, and five manuscripts, one of which was Curious George. The Nazis entered Paris just hours later, but the Reys were already on their way out. They rode their makeshift bicycles for four long days until reaching the French-Spanish border, where they sold them for train fare to Lisbon. From there they made their way to Brazil and on to New York City, beginning a whole new life as children’s book authors.
Curious George was published by Houghton Mifflin in 1941, and for sixty years these books have been capturing the hearts and minds of readers throughout the world. All the Curious George books, including the seven original stories by Margret and Hans, have sold more than twenty-five million copies. So popular that his original story has never been out of print, George has become one of the most beloved and recognizable characters in children’s literature. His adventures have been translated into many languages, including Japanese, French, Afrikaans, Portuguese, Swedish, German, Chinese, Danish, and Norwegian.
Although both of the Reys have passed away — Hans in 1977 and Margret in 1996—George lives on in the Curious George Foundation. Established in 1989, this foundation funds programs for children that share Curious George’s irresistible qualities—ingenuity, opportunity, determination, and curiosity in learning and exploring. Much consideration is given to programs that benefit animals, through preservation as well as the prevention of cruelty to animals. The foundation supports community outreach programs that emphasize the importance of family, from counseling to peer support groups.
Hans and Margret were married in Brazil on August 16, 1935, and they moved to Paris after falling in love with the city during their European honeymoon. It was there that Hans published his first children’s book, after a French publisher saw his newspaper cartoons of a giraffe and asked him to expand upon them. Raffy and the Nine Monkeys (Cecily G. and the Nine Monkeys in the British and American editions) was the result, and it marked the debut of a mischievous monkey named Curious George.
After Raffy and the Nine Monkeys was published, the Reys decided that Curious George deserved a book of his own, so they began work on a manuscript that featured the lovable and exceedingly curious little monkey. But the late 1930s and early ’40s were a tumultuous time in Europe, and before the new manuscript could be published, the Reys—both German Jews—found themselves in a horrible situation. Hitler and his Nazi party were tearing through Europe, and they were poised to take control of Paris.
Knowing that they must escape before the Nazis took power, Hans cobbled together two bicycles out of spare parts. Early in the morning of June 14, 1940, the Reys set off on their bicycles. They brought very little with them on their predawn flight — only warm coats, a bit of food, and five manuscripts, one of which was Curious George. The Nazis entered Paris just hours later, but the Reys were already on their way out. They rode their makeshift bicycles for four long days until reaching the French-Spanish border, where they sold them for train fare to Lisbon. From there they made their way to Brazil and on to New York City, beginning a whole new life as children’s book authors.
Curious George was published by Houghton Mifflin in 1941, and for sixty years these books have been capturing the hearts and minds of readers throughout the world. All the Curious George books, including the seven original stories by Margret and Hans, have sold more than twenty-five million copies. So popular that his original story has never been out of print, George has become one of the most beloved and recognizable characters in children’s literature. His adventures have been translated into many languages, including Japanese, French, Afrikaans, Portuguese, Swedish, German, Chinese, Danish, and Norwegian.
Although both of the Reys have passed away — Hans in 1977 and Margret in 1996—George lives on in the Curious George Foundation. Established in 1989, this foundation funds programs for children that share Curious George’s irresistible qualities—ingenuity, opportunity, determination, and curiosity in learning and exploring. Much consideration is given to programs that benefit animals, through preservation as well as the prevention of cruelty to animals. The foundation supports community outreach programs that emphasize the importance of family, from counseling to peer support groups.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 104 reviews
March 1, 2017
I love that these are bilingual. its extremely helpful for those trying to learn one of the language.
May 3, 2022
Curious George is undoubtedly one of my favourite fictional animals, especially as he is a mischievous little monkey.
The man with the yellow hat, George's guardian, decides to take him to the aquarium. Little did he know, although he should have done, what chaos that George will cause.
While the man in the yellow hat goes to purchase tickets, George is bored just sitting on a bench waiting for him to return and when he hears noises and sees water splashing over the aquarium wall, he decides to investigate.
Climbing a tree, conveniently situated alongside the wall he enters and sees two beluga whales in a huge outside tank and then he spots a family of sea lions before following the crowd through some doors into the aquarium.
There were fish of different kinds everywhere in tanks and George is fascinated. But then he spots a long low open tank that he decided was perfect for touching. Curious as he is, he reaches into the water, despite the DO NOT TOUCH sign, and is immediately bitten by a crab.
He did not like that exhibit so he moves on to some 'funny-looking black and white fish flying under the water'. When they exited the water George enters their exhibit and joins them and he hops, flaps his wings and waddles just as they do. He even slid on his belly just like them, that is until he spots a small one falling into the water ... and he becomes the hero in rescuing him.
The director thanks George when he is reunited with the man in the yellow hat and makes him an honorary staff member of the aquarium. George is happy!
Great illustrations done by Anna Grossnickle Hines in the style of the originals done by the original authors.
The man with the yellow hat, George's guardian, decides to take him to the aquarium. Little did he know, although he should have done, what chaos that George will cause.
While the man in the yellow hat goes to purchase tickets, George is bored just sitting on a bench waiting for him to return and when he hears noises and sees water splashing over the aquarium wall, he decides to investigate.
Climbing a tree, conveniently situated alongside the wall he enters and sees two beluga whales in a huge outside tank and then he spots a family of sea lions before following the crowd through some doors into the aquarium.
There were fish of different kinds everywhere in tanks and George is fascinated. But then he spots a long low open tank that he decided was perfect for touching. Curious as he is, he reaches into the water, despite the DO NOT TOUCH sign, and is immediately bitten by a crab.
He did not like that exhibit so he moves on to some 'funny-looking black and white fish flying under the water'. When they exited the water George enters their exhibit and joins them and he hops, flaps his wings and waddles just as they do. He even slid on his belly just like them, that is until he spots a small one falling into the water ... and he becomes the hero in rescuing him.
The director thanks George when he is reunited with the man in the yellow hat and makes him an honorary staff member of the aquarium. George is happy!
Great illustrations done by Anna Grossnickle Hines in the style of the originals done by the original authors.
November 24, 2018
Ah, George... the curious little monkey who tries so hard to do what's right, while wreaking chaos all around him.
In this adventure, the Man in the Yellow Hat decides (despite a WEALTH OF EVIDENCE SUGGESTING OTHERWISE (see all previous Curious George books)) that it would be a great idea to take George to the aquarium. Sure, they're both all excited to see the animals and have a fun day... but George gets into trouble before they even get started. He is too impatient to wait in the ticket line, so he hops the wall and breaks in and then lets all the penguins loose of their enclosure. As always, George also inadvertently ends up saving the day while trying to fix his own mistake and all the humans around him praise and reward him.
This was a gift to my little man from his grandparents after we all took a family trip to the aquarium, making it an extra-special "GrandmaGrandpaMonkey book" to share. :)
In this adventure, the Man in the Yellow Hat decides (despite a WEALTH OF EVIDENCE SUGGESTING OTHERWISE (see all previous Curious George books)) that it would be a great idea to take George to the aquarium. Sure, they're both all excited to see the animals and have a fun day... but George gets into trouble before they even get started. He is too impatient to wait in the ticket line, so he hops the wall and breaks in and then lets all the penguins loose of their enclosure. As always, George also inadvertently ends up saving the day while trying to fix his own mistake and all the humans around him praise and reward him.
This was a gift to my little man from his grandparents after we all took a family trip to the aquarium, making it an extra-special "GrandmaGrandpaMonkey book" to share. :)
January 22, 2018
I love how timeless Curious George to any age reader. This time he decided to help feed the seals, but he feeds them for the wrong tank and ends up the star of the show. It’s a simple story that does not age and makes a reader feel young again. I don't remember what “best of” list this title came from, but it deserves to be on them all.
May 29, 2015
Another one read with Brielle and Zach. Zach (2) loves the part with the penguins! Brielle (4) likes to act out George's silly monkey poses.
November 25, 2019
George and the man were visiting the aquarium. The man said:’ George wait here while I buy ticket.’ George tried to wait but he was too excited. He wanted to look over the wall but it was too high. Then he heard splash! He hopped over the gate. In front he saw two belugas! And not far there were a family of sea lion. What fun! He saw a big door and went inside. He saw so much fish. In another room he saw penguins. He entered the exhibit and he acted like a penguin. The the staff came. “A monkey”, said a staff. Yes, George is a monkey. George tried to escape but all the penguins went out when he opened the door. But one baby penguin fell into the water. No one noticed but George saved the baby penguin.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 24, 2025
The Man in the Yellow Hat takes George to the aquarium and thinks it's OK to let him out of his sight while he buys the tickets, despite the abundance of evidence (every previous Curious George book) that when he does that, George gets distracted, trespasses, and causes harm for whomever owns the place they're visiting.
George explores the aquarium without paying (which may not even be bad behavior, since tMitYH went to pay for two tickets), but then he climbs in the penguin exhibits and gets in trouble. Oh, but when the staff tries to chase him out, a baby penguin too young to swim falls in the water and George saves its life! George can break as many rules and cause as much trouble as he pleases so long as he does a bigger good deed at the end. Is this utilitarianism?
George explores the aquarium without paying (which may not even be bad behavior, since tMitYH went to pay for two tickets), but then he climbs in the penguin exhibits and gets in trouble. Oh, but when the staff tries to chase him out, a baby penguin too young to swim falls in the water and George saves its life! George can break as many rules and cause as much trouble as he pleases so long as he does a bigger good deed at the end. Is this utilitarianism?
May 2, 2020
As expected, this is a story about Curious George's curiosity and lack of impulse control getting him into trouble. Helps kids learn about animals who live in the water. The moral of the story isn't great, though, since it seems to say that if you make a lot of bad choices (sneak into the aquarium, go where you're not supposed to go, and leave a door open that leads to animals escaping) but do one good thing at the end (save a baby penguin who can't swim), you'll be richly rewarded for your good deed (getting honored by the aquarium with a special title).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 25, 2017
Curious George is a huge part of our life’s right now! Archer is obsessed. I think a Curious George birthday party is on the horizon. So it’s fair to say this book is a hit in our house. This is one of the newer Curious George books in our disposal. He loves it. This book is really cute filled with lots of Aquarium animals. I also loved the activity’s on the back page of the book. It’s a perfect way to turn reading into an activity after. We definitely had fun with this one :)
October 2, 2025
We are so proud of you for reading "Curious George at the Aquarium!" You learned that being curious and asking questions helps us discover amazing new things, just like George learned about sea animals. You can use this in your life by asking questions when you visit new places or see something interesting. Your curiosity makes you a wonderful learner! We love watching you explore books and grow smarter every day. Keep reading and wondering about the world around you, sweetheart!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 9, 2019
I read this book as a bilingual book and I had a hard time trying to focus with so much going on on the pages. Both spanish and english were there along with pictures. Curious George books are fun to read because of the trouble George sometimes gets himself into. By the end of the book I was laughing at what George got himself into this time.
February 20, 2021
This was a gift to E., and while I remember Curious George in the abstract, I had forgotten the details of the series. This was fun with an introduction to several sea creatures in an aquarium and some mischief typical of the titular monkey. I’ll definitely reread this one to him when he’s older to preview a trip to the Shedd Aquarium and probably other times in between.
Read
March 6, 2021Enjoyed how the writer and illustrator worked together to tell the story. Curious George is a fun series to have because they are all similar storylines, but each one is a different adventure he goes on, so it has a diverse on experiences he faces. I would recommend this series, and this book in particular is a good example.
March 2, 2022
In typical Curious George manner, everyone’s favorite curious little monkey manages to get into trouble, out of trouble, and save the day all in the timespan of 24 pages. The activities on the back cover make this book a fun choice for active little readers.
April 19, 2024
Overshadowed by the star players of this library haul, George’s trip to the aquarium didn’t stand a chance. Our mischievous monkey friend scales a wall, explores the aquarium, releases and rescues penguins… all before the man with the yellow hat could manage to buy tickets
June 11, 2019
Great bilingual book
A great way to learn Spanish. We read this book with our 6-year old daughter...it was the perfect English level for her, and the perfect Spanish level for us!
A great way to learn Spanish. We read this book with our 6-year old daughter...it was the perfect English level for her, and the perfect Spanish level for us!
October 14, 2019
Perfect book to practice my Spanish reading comprehension :)
May 10, 2020
We read the interactive book which was really great! It had activities for my son to do to improve his skills which were related to the storyline of the book.
Read
May 10, 2021Curious George is always a fun read for young children and this adventure of his is no different.
November 6, 2021
Curious George causes trouble and then saves the day at the aquarium.
February 16, 2022
February is learning about the city. As always, George gets into trouble but saves the show. A fun read and the kids enjoyed it.
February 22, 2022
The monkey runs away and endangers the life of another animal. Then the monkey saves the animal that it almost ignorantly killed and is praised by everyone for it. My kids and I liked it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 4, 2023
Though the plots follow the same pattern (George is naughty but in the end he helps out), they were better reads than I expected. And who doesn’t like penguins?
April 6, 2023
Good introduction to the idea of the aquarium, but only if you are then prepared to answer why Curious George is not, in fact, at your aquarium.
June 23, 2023
My son and I love curious George. We love these books that build familiarity actual places and creatures.
July 1, 2023
A silly story with beautiful drawings. George had a great day at the aquarium.
April 18, 2024
#2024
February 11, 2025
Great book cute nod to mystic aquarium with the beluga tank!
February 26, 2025
Just a easy, fun read for my K-4 students with special needs
March 16, 2025
The man in the yellow hat - George's friend - takes George to the aquarium.
George loves the seals.
One of the seal exhibits has very few visitors - so of course George has to help.
George loves the seals.
One of the seal exhibits has very few visitors - so of course George has to help.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 104 reviews