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Curious George New Adventures
Margaret & H. A. Rey's Curious George at the Aquarium
When George and the man in the yellow hat visit the aquarium, George's curiosity gets the better of him and he accidentally joins some of the exhibits.
24 pages, Hardcover
First published October 29, 1984
63 people are currently reading
913 people want to read
About the author
Margret Rey
235 books121 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 100 reviews
March 1, 2017
I love that these are bilingual. its extremely helpful for those trying to learn one of the language.
April 17, 2025
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 26, 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 100 reviews