Feed the Animals

Curious George New Adventures

by H.A. Rey

In Feed the Animals David and Caroline take a trip to the zoo and help Keeper Bill feed the animals.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Animals, Fiction, Kids, Fantasy

22 pages, Paperback

First published October 26, 1972

About the author

Hans 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.

Reviews

[Msjennifers Corner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like to read about George because it gives a great jumping off point for conversation with kids. It is great when you ask them what they would have done and especially what they SHOULD have done. In this one George goes to the zoo and we meet many different animals which is also a teaching moment. George learns a lesson and everything is done in a timely manner. I will say though that George probably needs a more attentive guardian. The man with the yellow hat is not the best at keeping tabs on him.

[midnightfaerie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great addition to our Curious George collection, this is probably a good level 2 reading book. My 5 yr old loves reading Curious George right now and this was a perfect fit for his reading choice. It's about George getting in trouble at the zoo because he feeds the animals. Luckily, a zookeeper finds a better job for him which ends up making everyone happy. More fun antics in store with this monkey in the this book, that will keep you and your kids happy til the end.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Its rather funny how many of Curious George's adventures take place at the zoo. In this book, Curious George learns that he shouldn't feed the animals, but also manages to help the zookeppers find a missing parrot. George always has such eventful days. =)

[Erth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love it!

[Una Sarayba · Rating 4 out of 5]

Curious George is back for another adventure, this time he feeds the animals! George and his friend, the man with the yellow hat, go to the zoo to see the new rainforest exhibit; however, George’s curiosity gets the best of him after he watches the zookeeper feed the animals, so he cannot help but feed the zoo animals too. He gets into a little bit of trouble but ends up saving the day by finding a loose parrot and fixing its broken enclosure. The illustrations help bring George’s innocent mischievousness to life and follow him as he feeds the animals in the zoo. They often use wide angles, really allowing viewers to be in “a position of power” (Nodelman 134). Using these wide angles gives the viewer the power to see a lot all at once and truly see what George is doing. It is funny to see the trail of peanuts he leaves behind and the different animals he has visited and fed. The wide angle also allows for some hidden easter eggs in some of the images. Since there is so much to look at in these wide shots, at first glance a viewer might not see that the lost parrot is actually in many of the illustrations. This makes for a fun game and really tests a viewer’s attentiveness. Curious George is always endearing for children in pre-K to 1st grade and will always be a classic.

[Rose Rosetree · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Quite a surprise" is the climax of this story.

Oh my, what has Curious George done here? Suffice it to say... All is forgiven, eventually.

WHAT PLEASED ME MOST?

I like the nuance built into this book:

* Yes, George did something naughty.
* But he also did something good.
* Hey, welcome to life for grownups. It can be complicated.

Naturally, the conclusion from the zookeepers is simple: "Please visit anytime," they told George and the man with the yellow hat.

In that spirit of happiness, sure, I'll give this picture book FIVE STARS.

[Le Maistre Chat · Rating 3 out of 5]

This feels like an average entry in the 24-page Curious George books my 2-year-old daughter loves equally with the more substantial Rey originals.
Curious George visits the zoo (no reference to having once lived in one) and gets in trouble for feeding the food the Man in the Yellow Hat buys him to the animals... as he should. But an escaped parrot swoops down and steals from him, so by total dumb luck George helps the zookeepers without the guilt of intentionally feeding that parrot. He also uses his climbing skill to repair a hole in the netting around a bird exhibit.

[Sarah Alamer · Rating 4 out of 5]

We're so proud of you for reading about Curious George! You learned something really important – that every animal needs special food to stay healthy and strong. Just like the zookeeper knew what each animal should eat, you're learning to make good choices too! When you help feed our pets or choose healthy snacks, you're being a responsible helper, just like George learned to be. You're doing such wonderful work with your reading, sweetheart!

[NK92 · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the better Curious George books, but it still has some of the same issues. He wanders off and runs from authority, hides from trouble, but he does fix the netting and learn not to feed animals because you can make them sick if you dont know what they can and can't eat.

[E & E’s Mama · Rating 4 out of 5]

Curious George doesn’t realize feeding the zoo animals is against the rules. But then he finds a way he can help. Elliot loves George, so this was a winner.

Read-aloud rec: older toddlers and preschoolers

[Kest Schwartzman · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just because you won the rights to Curious George and can legally write stories that superficially look like the originals, does not mean you SHOULD.

[Dan Hyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not a big a fan of Curious George as my 3.75 year old girls are.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read the version with a hippo on the cover.

[Angelica · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun one that Au was really into at 29 months. She would pay attention to every word and was interested in all the photos.

[Lindsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun trip to the zoo with a good lesson.

[Angeline Gallant · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a nice little book with a lesson for children. It was a fun book to read.

[MacK · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me: I loved it when I was a kid and called the baby seals ceilings!

Alex: Grandma Bekka reads it with me too! I like it!

Owen: FLAPS

[Ethan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eh it was okay bassicly it is a monkey who feeds a lot of animals. It is trying to teach young kids about animals. So basically it is for younger kids.

[KaitandMaddie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Do parrots even eat peanuts?

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Curious Geogre doesn't know that he's not supposed to feed the animals at the zoo...and also there's a missing parrot.

This was M's first Curious George book, and she seemed to really enjoy it.

[Mr. Cody · Rating 4 out of 5]

George learns the errors of his ways … at a zoo.

[Addie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute book about what not to do at the zoo, except that in this one instance it helped with a lost animal? A bit confusing there. 2 year old liked it

[Lass of duskfall · Rating 5 out of 5]

great book about responsibility

[K Morlando · Rating 5 out of 5]

We love Curious George books!

[Patricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this Curious George adventure, George and the Man in the Yellow Hat go to the zoo to visit the new Rainforest Exhibit. Unfortunately, it is closed. To pass the time, the Man in the Yellow Hat takes George to the food stand and buys him a bag of peanuts. Before long, George is walking around the zoo sharing his peanuts with the other animals. When a zookeeper sees George and tell him to stop, George runs off. George ends up on a park bench with his bag. Suddenly a parrot flies over to steal some of George's peanuts. It turns out that the parrot is missing from the Rainforest Exhibit. Another zookeeper sees George and hails him a hero for finding the parrot. George becomes even more of a hero when he repairs the hole in the fence the parrot used to fly out of the exhibit. Another great day at the zoo for Curious George!

[Missy Kirtley]

My 3 year old daughter LOVES Curious George. This one confuses me a little... it's "in the style of" not actually "illustrated by" so I'm assuming this one was created after HA Rey's death? Anyway, it's another Curious George book. He does something he thinks is good, but we all know is naughty. Then he does something good, and doesn't have any consequence for the naughty action. Sometimes I hate that about Curious George. But it gets my daughter interested and involved with reading, so can I really nitpick? We talk about his actions being naughty, so that's a start.

[Rosa Cline · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun Curious George book. Wasn't to 'involved' for the story line but has lots of various animals in the story. George and the man goes to a trip to the zoo to see a new exhibit. George 'accidentally' gets into trouble by trying to feed the animals he learns later that feeding them may get them sick (which teaches the reader-listener that as well) He does help find a bird that was lost, and he helps fix the cage for him. So his adventure ends out well. My 2 year old granddaughter enjoyed listening and following George in this book.

[Kari · Rating 4 out of 5]

The well-known Curious George is always caught in some trouble and this time it's at the zoo. The clever monkey is accused of letting one of the rarest animals go, but soon enough saves the day instead. This book tells a great story and teaches kids about helping others, even when they may not believe in you at times. The story uses descriptive language and incorporates problem solving skills that kids can learn from for similar situations.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since we were just at Sea World and my daughter enjoys the zoo, we decided that this would be a fun book to read. It's a really cute book following George, the curious little monkey. He gets in to a bit of trouble while trying to feed all the animals peanuts! But of course George saves the day in the end. My daughter really enjoyed seeing all the different animals, from seals to elephants to giraffes. If you have an animal lover, they will enjoy this book!

[Jennie Park]

I would love to read this book before we go on a field trip to the zoo. Many young elementary school students take field trips to the zoo and it would be an appropriate book to read to talk about the rules we need to follow. This book would help the children understand why certain animals should not be fed certain foods and also that there are precautions we need to be aware of in order be safe.