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Whiteblack the Penguin Sees the World
Book by Rey, H. A.
32 pages, Paperback
First published August 28, 2000
About the author
Margret Rey
247 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 - 26 of 26 reviews
December 19, 2017
A Margret Rey book originally created in 1937 when "Hans Rey was working in the Brazilian Pavilion at the Paris World's Fair. He was stationed across from the penguin exhibit and he took great delight in drawing these fanciful creatures and creating characters out of them. Eventually, he and Margret drafted the entire saga of Whiteblack the Penguin; later they strapped it onto a bicycle and fled Paris." A superb example of H. A. Rey's early work, the book has been executed in his French watercolor style and demonstrates the childlike understanding and humor that both Hans and Margret brought to their books." (From Publisher's Note) It was first published in 2000.
January 20, 2019
Whiteblack, the penguin leaves Penguinland to search out new stories for his radio show W-O-N-S (that snow spelled backward). With his friends helping build an boat, they cheer him on as he leaves his homeland. I think Penguin was looking for stories experiences by others to collect, but he ends up having his own adventures to share. Beautiful, brightly color illustrations.
March 11, 2020
I shorten this story for my 3 year old. The book is a little long for her attention span, so I narrate based on the pictures. However, it's fun and we enjoy the pictures.
January 5, 2023
Loved it!
October 3, 2019
Genre: nonfiction
Appropriate Grade Range: Preschool-3
Review: The story is a penguin who travels around for an article. It was an interesting book to read because he went through so many different experiences. I think that children would love this book because he has some crazy adventures.
Appropriate Grade Range: Preschool-3
Review: The story is a penguin who travels around for an article. It was an interesting book to read because he went through so many different experiences. I think that children would love this book because he has some crazy adventures.
February 22, 2015
Personal reflection – This is a fun little story about a penguin named, Whiteblack, that has run out of stories to tell. This is a problem because he’s a well-known storyteller for a radio station that broadcasts all over Penguinland. Whiteblack decides to build a boat and travel the world to collect stories from abroad. Little does he know, the stories he will collect will be his own and not of those from others. Children will find this book quite humorous.
Purpose – 1st-2nd grade read aloud
Curriculum – This cute story is great for reading aloud as the students’ would not need to see the pictures to get the story. There are words that will help enhance the vocabulary of young children. This book could be read during the winter months or along side a lesson on penguins and other animals from the South Pole. This book is from the creators of Curious George, so that could also be a topic of class discussion. The class could look for similarities between Curious George and Whiteblack to see if the authors’ style of writing is familiar to them.
Purpose – 1st-2nd grade read aloud
Curriculum – This cute story is great for reading aloud as the students’ would not need to see the pictures to get the story. There are words that will help enhance the vocabulary of young children. This book could be read during the winter months or along side a lesson on penguins and other animals from the South Pole. This book is from the creators of Curious George, so that could also be a topic of class discussion. The class could look for similarities between Curious George and Whiteblack to see if the authors’ style of writing is familiar to them.
December 28, 2015
My love of reading started when i was young, and it gives me immense pleasure to provide books to Spread the Word Nevada, an organization that passes them on to children in the community. They are a terrific organization supporting an important cause. If your local I encourage you to check them out. For those living further a field, look in your own community, their may already be a similar program in place. And if not, you can always help start one.
http://spreadthewordnevada.org/
Myself, I go out on the weekends and
shop thrift store and bulk book lots to rescue books and donate them. Sometimes I'll find a book I remember reading when I was young and will read it again before passing it on.
I don't rate these books using my normal scale, instead I give most of them three stars. This isn't a Criticism of the book, simply my way of rating them as good for children.
August 6, 2011
Whiteblack the penguin is running out of stories to tell on his radio show - not a good thing to happen to the Chief Storyteller of Penguinland. Waving goodbye to his friends, Whiteblack sets off in a little boat, in search of new stories. His journey is fraught with mishaps and misadventures, and doesn't quite go as Whiteblack had planned - but the plucky little radio star takes it all in stride, planning to use everything as a new story!
Whiteblack was written at the same time as Curious George, and smuggled out of Paris during World War II as well. His adventure fell by the wayside as Curious George became more and more popular, but in my opinion, is must more enjoyable than the cheeky, troublesome monkey. (I never liked him.)
Whiteblack was written at the same time as Curious George, and smuggled out of Paris during World War II as well. His adventure fell by the wayside as Curious George became more and more popular, but in my opinion, is must more enjoyable than the cheeky, troublesome monkey. (I never liked him.)
September 24, 2012
Whiteblack the Penguin Sees the World is a darling story about Whiteblack, a penguin who talks on a radio show. He is afraid that he has run out of stories to tell, so in order to solve the problem, he wants to travel around the world. Whiteblack's adventures take him all over the world, from a fishing boat, to the desert, and back to Penguinland. Whiteblack the Penguin Sees the World is a wonderful story about both the importance of traveling as well as great ways to come up with story ideas. This is a book that could very easily be taught from in the classroom and would be an excellent addition to a classroom library. The pictures are magnificent and are full of bright colors and help bring to life Whiteblack's adventures.
December 5, 2014
I liked this book, I thought it was a cute story about a penguin who sets out to explore the world, but in the end finds out there's nothing better than being at home with the people you love.
This book has important themes for kids including the importance of putting yourself out there and taking risks, but also appreciating what you have and the people you have around you. The illustrations in this book are also really great, with a lot of color and detail.
I recommend this book to any child looking for a fun, adventurous story about a penguin who decides to do something different with his life.
This book has important themes for kids including the importance of putting yourself out there and taking risks, but also appreciating what you have and the people you have around you. The illustrations in this book are also really great, with a lot of color and detail.
I recommend this book to any child looking for a fun, adventurous story about a penguin who decides to do something different with his life.
May 4, 2017
So glad this book was discovered after the Reys' deaths! It's a good one!
March 13, 2010
Sweet and funny story in this new-to-me book by the Reys. Apparently this sat in their files for 60 years and was only found after Margaret Rey's death in 1998. Whiteblack has run out of material for his radio show on WONS (snow backwards), so he decides to travel to collect stories, and boy does he collect some whoppers! From being accidentally shot out of a cannon to getting sea sick on a camel, Whiteblack sees the world and comes home full of interesting anecdotes. And a netfull of fish for his friends. Logan had several laughs.
February 23, 2012
Reading Level: Ages 4-9
Whiteblack the penguin is running out of stories to tell on his radio show - not a good thing to happen to the Chief Storyteller of Penguinland. Waving goodbye to his friends, Whiteblack sets off in a little boat, in search of new stories. His journey is fraught with mishaps and misadventures, and doesn't quite go as Whiteblack had planned - but the plucky little radio star takes it all in stride, planning to use everything as a new story!
For more book reviews from the HPPL Youth Department, click here.
Whiteblack the penguin is running out of stories to tell on his radio show - not a good thing to happen to the Chief Storyteller of Penguinland. Waving goodbye to his friends, Whiteblack sets off in a little boat, in search of new stories. His journey is fraught with mishaps and misadventures, and doesn't quite go as Whiteblack had planned - but the plucky little radio star takes it all in stride, planning to use everything as a new story!
For more book reviews from the HPPL Youth Department, click here.
October 3, 2012
Whiteblack the Penguin Sees the World is a story about a penguin named Whiteblack that has a radio show. Whiteblack runs out of topics to talk about on his show so he decides to travel the world. After going to the desert, getting stuck on a boat, meeting a camel, and many more adventures, Whiteblack returns to Penguinland. Whiteblack the Penguin Sees the World could be implemented into a first or second grade classroom as an exciting way to learn about different animals, different types of climates.
April 18, 2015
If you or your child is a fan of the writings of Curious George this is written by the same author and she does a good job at the story. Whiteblack the penguin tells stories to the other artic animals but he's soon out of stories to tell them so he wants to head out to find more stories. And he does... he finds himself on a boat being shot out of a cannon, he finds himself on the hot desert being helped by a camel, on the top of an airplane 'finally being able to fly' and finally back home with gifts for his friends.
September 11, 2015
Whiteblack the Penguin is a cute book. Whiteblack decides to go see the world and his friends, who are a polar bear and a seal say that he will need a boat. So he builds a boat with help from his family. His friends tell him to bring back presents (souvenirs) too. He promises he will and sets off. It’s a cute book as you read about all the places Whiteblack travels in the world, and how he makes it back home and they have a huge artic party.
2014-Summer-Reading-Review
2014-Summer-Reading-Review
May 5, 2012
Davey's rating is a definite 5 stars. We've read it two nights in a row now, and this morning he was "reading" it by himself. This story really appealed to him. It is written by H.A. Rey (and Margret), the authors of Curious George. (The Man in the Yellow Hat makes a cameo appearance in this book.) It is a cute book about Whiteblack's adventures.
April 20, 2015
I'm afraid I got hung up on the part early in the book when a seal gave Whiteblack the penguin half of a seal skin to make a boat. After that, I found much of the story distasteful, so distasteful that even the otherwise charming illustrations could not win me over.
I realize that this book was written in a different era, but instead of feeling timeless, it feels very dated.
I realize that this book was written in a different era, but instead of feeling timeless, it feels very dated.
January 3, 2012
I really liked this one. The kids I read it too were engrossed, too, and they made lots of comments while reading it. It was a good balance of repetition and not, and the picture were helpful to the story, too.
October 27, 2013
A lighthearted story about a penguin who travels the word looking for new stories to tell. I liked that Whiteblack never became upset when things didn't go quite the way he wanted, a good lesson for children and adults. The illustrations added so much to the story. Very bright and cheery.
July 3, 2009
Whiteblack tells stories on W.O.N.S. radio station. One day he runs out of stories and leaves to see the world to collect new stories. When he returns he brings a gift and is named the hero.
March 16, 2010
I love Rey's illustrations. Whiteblack is a fun protagonist with a great attitude through all his adventures, even when things go wrong. This is another light-hearted adventure story J and I love.
March 13, 2013
What kind of stories can he find around the world, will he ever have new ones for his radio show?
January 12, 2015
Such a strange little story that was very factually inaccurate, but still somewhat charming. The publisher's note at the end of the story really brought the story to life for us.
November 10, 2014
An optimistic penguin has adventures. Look closely for characters and illustration similarities to other Rey books.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews