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Curious George Plants a Tree: A Delightful Journey into Environmental Awareness Featuring Everyone's Favorite Curious Monkey
When George finds out that the science museum is planning a “Green Day” dedicated to recycling and planting trees, he is curious and wants to help out! But then George begins to recycle things around town that aren’t quite ready for the recycling bin, and he gets into a jam. Thankfully, George isn’t the only one who wants to help—the whole community can’t wait to lend a hand!
Features include the following:
• A plantable bookmark with wildflower seeds
• Twenty kid-friendly tips for a greener world
• Printed on chlorine-free and acid-free paper from responsibly managed sources, certified by the Forestry Stewardship Council
• Printed with environmentally friendly soy inks
Did you know...? The new Rey Center at the Margret & H.A. Rey Center in Waterville, New Hampshire will a model for energy conservation, using solar panels and wind generators for its electricity. It will reuse and slow-release stormwater, and treat its “gray water” (from sinks/showers) in a constructed wetland.
Features include the following:
• A plantable bookmark with wildflower seeds
• Twenty kid-friendly tips for a greener world
• Printed on chlorine-free and acid-free paper from responsibly managed sources, certified by the Forestry Stewardship Council
• Printed with environmentally friendly soy inks
Did you know...? The new Rey Center at the Margret & H.A. Rey Center in Waterville, New Hampshire will a model for energy conservation, using solar panels and wind generators for its electricity. It will reuse and slow-release stormwater, and treat its “gray water” (from sinks/showers) in a constructed wetland.
24 pages, Paperback
First published March 16, 2009
8 people are currently reading
167 people want to read
About the author
Margret Rey
244 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 15, 2019
Curious George plants a tree is a funny children’s book that does have something to say about environmental issues without being scientific. It’s all very light in tone, and not preachy, but still manages to introduce recycling, and the importance of trees to the planet. It even has twenty tips on living green at the end. Pretty good.
April 30, 2020
I just do not love Curious George. I find him tiresome and annoying, and the man in the yellow hat is kind of dumb, completely oblivious, and far too indulgent. However, my kids love these books, so we read them.
February 26, 2012
Conservation? Volunteer work? Trees? MONKEY?!?!?! Sounds wonderful to me!! & it was! Curious george stirs up a little trouble but ends up being a really big help in this adventure. =)
August 10, 2025
Curious George is one of my favourite characters and the Rey's interpretation of him and the man with the yellow hat, both story-wise and illustration-wise, is impressive. This edition is written by Monica Perez and illustrated by Anna Grossnickle Hines and to their extreme credit they have represented and written about the characters in just the same manner of the originals and the Reys would be impressed with that - as I am!
In this episode in George's, dare I say it?, curious life, the man in the yellow hat decides to take him to the Science Museum and George is very excited to see the exhibits. After viewing them he moves on to a special exhibition, 'How You Can Take Care of the Planet'. He gets plenty ideas about recycling from the exhibition so when he returns home he decides that he will apply what he knows to his own environment.
However, he takes everything to extremes and his neighbours find this troublesome and have to go after him to sort things out. Fortunately they do so and then they join him in his efforts to recycle and help keep the planet green.
As well as the storyline, there are 20 tips for 'Living Green' plus, on the back cover, 'Six Steps for planting a Tree'. It is a smashing read and view plus it gives an idea to youngsters about that 'Living Green'.
In this episode in George's, dare I say it?, curious life, the man in the yellow hat decides to take him to the Science Museum and George is very excited to see the exhibits. After viewing them he moves on to a special exhibition, 'How You Can Take Care of the Planet'. He gets plenty ideas about recycling from the exhibition so when he returns home he decides that he will apply what he knows to his own environment.
However, he takes everything to extremes and his neighbours find this troublesome and have to go after him to sort things out. Fortunately they do so and then they join him in his efforts to recycle and help keep the planet green.
As well as the storyline, there are 20 tips for 'Living Green' plus, on the back cover, 'Six Steps for planting a Tree'. It is a smashing read and view plus it gives an idea to youngsters about that 'Living Green'.
Read
December 2, 2019“Curious George Plants a Tree”, by Monica Perez is the story of the monkey George. He loves to visit the science museum and gets even more excited when he hears that there will be a Green Day rally in the park. He goes home and finds all the recyclables he can, and the next day he heads out to the park. On the way he takes newspapers he finds on the sidewalk, plastic cups, and a stack of papers. When he gets to the park, many people are angry that he took their stuff. However, in the end, the confusion is cleared up and everybody works together to plant trees.
I enjoyed this book, however, I am not sure that I really like the formula fiction genre of books. Overall it was a cute story and educational. In a future classroom I would form an activity around the standard CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3.3 - Describe characters in a story (e.g., their traits, motivations, or feelings) and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events.
I enjoyed this book, however, I am not sure that I really like the formula fiction genre of books. Overall it was a cute story and educational. In a future classroom I would form an activity around the standard CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3.3 - Describe characters in a story (e.g., their traits, motivations, or feelings) and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events.
May 25, 2025
This is one of several appearances in the shorter, post-Rey Curious George books of Dr. Lee, the director of the Science Museum (did Professor Wiseman retire?). The current special exhibit there is on environmentalism and on the way out, George literally bumps into Dr. Lee, who imprints on him the importance of recycling. My 2-year-old daughter enjoys it, and I get a wry smile out of George's interpretation of recycling being that he should STEAL all the paper products he sees between his house and the park.
October 18, 2025
We're so proud of you for reading about Curious George! What a wonderful story. You learned something really special - that even small actions, like planting one tree, can help our whole planet. Trees give us clean air to breathe and homes for animals.
You can help too! Maybe we can plant flowers in our garden together, or water the plants at home. Taking care of nature is a gift you can give to the world.
You can help too! Maybe we can plant flowers in our garden together, or water the plants at home. Taking care of nature is a gift you can give to the world.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 24, 2018
This book takes an all-time classic character to the science museum. Curious George and the man with the yellow hat explore the exhibits and even creates his own exhibits. This story exposes to children the concepts of recycling, protecting the earth, and how to take care of it. This is a great book to read to children on Earth Day and of course the book offers colorful, engaging illustrations.
February 27, 2018
Curious George takes an adventure to help the environment and learn about plants. The book is long so it would be aimed for older children or maybe broken into parts for younger age groups. There are several activities that this book could be connected to to help the children learn about plants and how to care for their environment.
February 28, 2018
I thought this was an awesome book on being "Green" and recycling. It was good for students to learn about being environmentally friendly to our earth and learning ways they can help in the community.
August 16, 2018
Nothing is as good as the original Curious George books by Margaret and H.A Rey but this was is pretty good. My daughter enjoyed it and I was thrilled to find a Curious George book we have not read yet at the library.
September 19, 2018
George learns about the importance of saving the environment do he decides to do his part by recycling and helping plant trees.
February 13, 2019
Cute and fun, a great book for Earth Day or springtime. 2/5 stars.
April 23, 2019
Cute! Read this one at work to a group of kids and their parents for an Earth Day family night and it had some good facts on conservation and recycling.
August 29, 2021
I don’t typically read any Curious a George books beyond the original set, but this one caught my eye and is worth reading to my 3-year-old to continue discussing conservation.
April 21, 2022
A positive spin on taking care of the earth.
September 18, 2022
The steps for planting a tree made me laugh.
July 1, 2023
Great story with a great message that still holds up! “Being a monkey, George had known all along how important trees were.”
October 24, 2024
Not much about planting trees, just recycling
December 16, 2024
#58 of 2024
March 24, 2025
A masterpiece
May 2, 2021
I like how much information about trees and going green is in this book. It would be a great book to talk about the earth and earth day topics.
DRA: 34-38
ATOS: 3.6
6 Traits: Voice
DRA: 34-38
ATOS: 3.6
6 Traits: Voice
March 2, 2017
Great for leading up to Earth Day & environmental awareness. In some aspects Curious George reminds me of Amelia Bedelia. We enjoyed reading about his Green Day adventures, and I liked the included list on how children can help the environment. Plus as a bonus there are tree planting instructions on the back cover.
April 13, 2019
We love Curious George books!
February 27, 2014
Booklist (February 15, 2009 (Vol. 105, No. 12))
Preschool-Grade 1. When Curious George visits a science museum, he learns about the environment and hears about an upcoming recycling rally. Back at home, he loads empty cartons and old papers into his wagon. The next day, he happily picks up more papers to fill his wagon. His neighbors, angry to find their just-delivered newspapers gone, chase George all the way to the rally. After the man with the yellow hat arrives and explains George’s mistake, they stay to help plant trees. The book concludes with 20 child-centered “Living Green” tips, such as “Use both sides of your paper.” and “Turn off the faucet while brushing your teeth,” which are illustrated on the book’s cheerful endpapers. With the tone of both art and story reminiscent of the original Curious George series, this picture book offers young children an appealing introduction to reusing and recycling.
Horn Book (Fall 2009)
Written by Monica Perez. Pulling a wagon of recyclables to the park for a "Green Day rally," Curious George, trying to help, tosses his neighbors' just-delivered newspapers and other still-needed items into the mix. The pursuing angry mob forgives George, and everyone plants trees at the rally. There's nothing new here in story or art, but readers may find the appended conservation tips useful.
Preschool-Grade 1. When Curious George visits a science museum, he learns about the environment and hears about an upcoming recycling rally. Back at home, he loads empty cartons and old papers into his wagon. The next day, he happily picks up more papers to fill his wagon. His neighbors, angry to find their just-delivered newspapers gone, chase George all the way to the rally. After the man with the yellow hat arrives and explains George’s mistake, they stay to help plant trees. The book concludes with 20 child-centered “Living Green” tips, such as “Use both sides of your paper.” and “Turn off the faucet while brushing your teeth,” which are illustrated on the book’s cheerful endpapers. With the tone of both art and story reminiscent of the original Curious George series, this picture book offers young children an appealing introduction to reusing and recycling.
Horn Book (Fall 2009)
Written by Monica Perez. Pulling a wagon of recyclables to the park for a "Green Day rally," Curious George, trying to help, tosses his neighbors' just-delivered newspapers and other still-needed items into the mix. The pursuing angry mob forgives George, and everyone plants trees at the rally. There's nothing new here in story or art, but readers may find the appended conservation tips useful.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 25, 2016
Synopsis: "George loves to go to the science museum. So, when he finds out that the museum is planning a “Green Day” dedicated to recycling and planting trees, and George is curious and wants to help out! But little monkeys eager to help can sometimes become little monkeys getting into trouble. When George begins to find and recycle things around town that aren’t quite ready for the recycle bin, he gets into a jam. Thankfully, George isn’t the only one who wants to help—the whole community can’t wait to lend a hand—and help George and the museum plant some trees!"
My Review: I figured this would be a great book for spring and the upcoming earth day, my only concern was that Munchkin would want to plant a tree and we have no space in our yard. Thankfully, upon reading the book, George plants a tree in a park. George also helps take care of the planet by recycling. This is a great way to introduce or encourage green living, Munchkin was very excited that he already does things to help the earth.
My Review: I figured this would be a great book for spring and the upcoming earth day, my only concern was that Munchkin would want to plant a tree and we have no space in our yard. Thankfully, upon reading the book, George plants a tree in a park. George also helps take care of the planet by recycling. This is a great way to introduce or encourage green living, Munchkin was very excited that he already does things to help the earth.
March 20, 2012
What is not to love about a curious little monkey? In this Curious George adventure, George learns about conservation at the local museum. After touring the museum, George and his friend, the man in the yellow hat, run into Dr. Lee and are invited to a Green Day celebration at the park. George gathers all sorts of stuff to recycle for the celebration, including some items that aren't ready for recycling. Thankfully the man in the Yellow Hat sorts things out and George does not get into any trouble. The day of the celebration turns out great. A lot of trees are planted not only to make the park more beautiful, but also to make the area more breathable. The book ends with a list of 20 things everyone can do to help our environment.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 4, 2010
Who doesn't love Curious George? Great book for the younger environmentalist with 20 kid friendly tips for a greener world and steps for planting a tree.
Curious George is off the Science Museum where today's special exhibit is all about how you can take care of the planet. George learns about how trees clean the air and how people can protect the earth. The next day the Museum is having a special tree planting event and recycling drive so George goes home to look for things he can recycle. The whole town shows up to help plants tree with George.
Cute illustrations and very simple text makes this story fun and easy to follow.
Curious George is off the Science Museum where today's special exhibit is all about how you can take care of the planet. George learns about how trees clean the air and how people can protect the earth. The next day the Museum is having a special tree planting event and recycling drive so George goes home to look for things he can recycle. The whole town shows up to help plants tree with George.
Cute illustrations and very simple text makes this story fun and easy to follow.
April 14, 2015
This is a 'newer' Curious George (not one of the original ones) George learns about helping our environment and community by planting trees and recycling old newspapers and how you don't have to recycle everything that some things can be reused (like books you no longer want donate them to other children or libraries) What I didn't like about this book was George went through the neighborhood taking peoples newspapers from their lawns and newspaper stands but no one told him that was 'bad'... many of these books implement 'bad' things but never tell George (or the child reading the book) that it is bad. My special needs teenage son and I did enjoy this book.
April 22, 2010
I thought this was an awesome book on being "Green" and recycling. It was good for students to learn about being environmentally friendly to our earth and learning ways they can help in the community. On the back of the book, it also lists the steps to plant a tree, which I thought was really cool and would be neat if your school allowed you to plant a tree on school property or if you could plant a flower in the classroom.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews