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Curious George Original Adventures #4
Curious George Gets a Medal
After repeatedly disastrous efforts to get himself out of trouble, George ends up being the first monkey in space. "Children will welcome with great delight this fourth book about the engaging little monkey." -- Horn Book
48 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1957
11 people are currently reading
735 people want to read
About the author
H.A. Rey
585 books213 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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 107 reviews
May 28, 2014
What a twist! There George was, messing about in the house and then BAM he's off into .
Holy jesus does that monkey get into trouble! And not only in stories, but real life too! One day I was visiting my aunt and her two dogs, a house-guarding German Shepherd with a hell of a bark and a perpetually annoyed poodle. Well, when I wasn't looking George slipped away into the other room and I guess he did something to get on the poodle's nerves, because the heartless beast tore the brim off that poor monkey's hat and then gutted him. My aunt had to do emergency surgery secretively and fast, because if I'd seen that carnage I would've lost my shit. Thanks to her, Curious George survived and went on to have many adventures with me, like the time we climbed a mountain and the only thing in my tiny backpack was George. But that scar stayed with him the rest of his life and to this day I have a righteous prejudice against goddamn poodles!
* * * * * * * * * * *EDIT* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Review With My 4-Year-Old Niece Emma
Emma was acting like a crazy little monkey herself and I needed to calm her stat, so I went with the tested and true "story time!" technique, speed-reading through the first couple pages of Curious George Gets a Medal to get her attention. Worked like a charm. Always does.
In this episode of George's life, that curious monkey floods the man with the big yellow hat's apartment with soap suds and water, then scours the countryside looking for a beast of burden to pull a water pump back to the city in order to clean up the mess. He ends up f'ing sh!t up at a museum, and just when it looks like the jig is up, he's rescued by that yellow-hatted poacher. The story climaxes with a zany, unexpected twist.
Personally, I thought this was a heck of a good read. Emma, not so much...
Me: "Did you like this one?"
Emma: "No."
Me: "Why not?"
Emma: "It was boring."
Me: "What about that part where George fills up the house with bubbles?"
Emma: "Oh yeah. That part was funny!"
Me: "But you didn't like the book?"
Emma: "No."
Even though my co-reader would disagree, I'm keeping the rating at 5 stars, because frankly I think Emma's talking out of her butt on this one.
Holy jesus does that monkey get into trouble! And not only in stories, but real life too! One day I was visiting my aunt and her two dogs, a house-guarding German Shepherd with a hell of a bark and a perpetually annoyed poodle. Well, when I wasn't looking George slipped away into the other room and I guess he did something to get on the poodle's nerves, because the heartless beast tore the brim off that poor monkey's hat and then gutted him. My aunt had to do emergency surgery secretively and fast, because if I'd seen that carnage I would've lost my shit. Thanks to her, Curious George survived and went on to have many adventures with me, like the time we climbed a mountain and the only thing in my tiny backpack was George. But that scar stayed with him the rest of his life and to this day I have a righteous prejudice against goddamn poodles!
* * * * * * * * * * *EDIT* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Review With My 4-Year-Old Niece Emma
Emma was acting like a crazy little monkey herself and I needed to calm her stat, so I went with the tested and true "story time!" technique, speed-reading through the first couple pages of Curious George Gets a Medal to get her attention. Worked like a charm. Always does.
In this episode of George's life, that curious monkey floods the man with the big yellow hat's apartment with soap suds and water, then scours the countryside looking for a beast of burden to pull a water pump back to the city in order to clean up the mess. He ends up f'ing sh!t up at a museum, and just when it looks like the jig is up, he's rescued by that yellow-hatted poacher. The story climaxes with a zany, unexpected twist.
Personally, I thought this was a heck of a good read. Emma, not so much...
Me: "Did you like this one?"
Emma: "No."
Me: "Why not?"
Emma: "It was boring."
Me: "What about that part where George fills up the house with bubbles?"
Emma: "Oh yeah. That part was funny!"
Me: "But you didn't like the book?"
Emma: "No."
Even though my co-reader would disagree, I'm keeping the rating at 5 stars, because frankly I think Emma's talking out of her butt on this one.
January 15, 2019
It all starts out so innocently when a letter arrives addressed to George. That curious little monkey cannot wait to read it, which leads to a major mess in the house. Trying to be helpful, George makes his way to the farm, in hopes of getting some assistance with the mess. Before he knows it, he's on a truck and headed to the Science Museum. Even there, amongst all the stuffed animals, George finds trouble and is almost shipped back to the zoo. Instead, he is saved at the last minute and sent on quite the mission? It earns him a medal, but you will have to read the story to find out. Neo loves this stories, mostly because they are adventures that take so many turns. I loved them as a child and am pleased to see the next generation of reading enthusiasts can as well.
June 7, 2018
I guess I did read this one as a kid. Funny that I remember him trying to pour the ink into the funnel and making a mess, and not the wackier stuff like George being sent into space in a rocket!
February 8, 2017
The fourth installment of H.A. Rey's "Curious George" saga is Curious George Gets a Medal. I propose as an alternative title, Curious George Jumps the Shark.
This book begins at George's house in the suburbs. The poacher has, once again, left his wild animal loose and unattended while he is off doing whatever it is he does during the day when he's not hunting wild animals. George is reading a book that is quite obviously Curious George Gets a Job. I can't tell whether this was (1) just meant to be a joke by the author; (2) an in-story detail to emphasize how famous George has become; or (3) a meta-textual commentary on the insular state of children's literature at the time of publication. Possibly all three.
The mailman arrives and gives George a letter. He is not the least bit surprised that a monkey has answered the door, suggesting that the poacher pulls stunts like this all the time. On close inspection, the letter bears a return address of the museum.
Bizarre story development #1 - Instead of opening the letter, George decides to write one himself, despite not knowing how to read or write. He makes a terrible mess while attempting to fill a fountain pen, then floods the house in his attempts to clean it up.
George determines he needs a pump to get the water out. Opening the front door would probably have been a better way to start, but unlike the poacher, I recognize that George is a monkey and cannot be expected to behave in the same manner that a reasonable adult human would.
To obtain a pump, George goes to a nearby farm. Apparently, at some point in the past, George had seen that the farmers had a pump, understood what it was for, and remembered its location. Unfortunately, it is too heavy for George to steal on his own, so he attempts to enlist the aid of farm animals. The goat and the pigs aren't having any of George's shit (and a hen and her chicks are enjoying George's misfortune), but he is eventually able to get a cow to cooperate. He straps the pump to the cow, and the proceed to head back to his house. The farmers notice a monkey making off with their pump and their cow, and make chase.
George escapes by hiding behind some clothes hanging to dry. To avoid detection, he then jumps into the bed of a passing truck . . . which just so happens to be going to the museum.
**sigh** What an amazing coincidence.
The museum has an inattentive guard and a large open entrance that does not appear to have a door. George sneaks in effortlessly.
At the museum, George explores the various displays, and is enticed by a fake banana tree in a dinosaur exhibit. The dinosaurs in that exhibit are labeled simply "Dinosaur," because like everything else in George's world, the museum is very poorly run. When some museum attendees show up, George poses next to the dinosaurs and fools them into thinking he is just another stuffed display model.
Pathetic.
Anyway, they leave, and George attempts to get the fake bananas, and wrecks the exhibit in doing so. The guards take George to the museum director, Professor Wiseman (oh, come on, Rey! You're better than this!) and it looks like George is in some deep shit--not the inattentive guards, mind you, but the monkey--until the poacher shows up with impeccable timing and identifies George to Professor Wiseman as the monkey to whom he (Wiseman) had previously sent a letter.
It seems Professor Wiseman has developed a rocket (ummm....) and wants to launch George into space. Today. At the museum. With zero prep time and minimal study or training. All of this strikes me as tremendously ill-advised.
But they do it. George goes into space, bails from the rocket just in time, and receives a medal for being the first monkey in space.
Ugh, this one was just a mess. Unlike previous Curious George adventures, where he gets in trouble for everyday misbehavior that your average Curious George reader (i.e., preschoolers) might also get into, this book is some over-the-top craziness.
Worse, the plot just bounces from one unresolved disaster to another. It's like three half-stories that mostly go unresolved. We do learn, however, that the onlooker who sat by and watched George flood his house actually did go on to clean it up, so I guess that plot thread is ultimately resolved. It seems like a hand-wavey, unsatisfying way of resolving one of the primary conflicts of the book, though.
It's also notable that this book was originally published in 1957, but the United States had been sending monkeys into space since the late 1940s. Between this error and the half-assed "Dinosaur" exhibit, I can only conclude that Professor Wiseman is not particularly good at his job.
As usual, the illustrations are great and the little details are once again a major contributor to that. The neighbor looking on while George floods his house made me laugh (though it becomes relevant, as mentioned above), and I love the hen and chicks following George around on the farm.
I wasn't terribly fond of this one, though.
This book begins at George's house in the suburbs. The poacher has, once again, left his wild animal loose and unattended while he is off doing whatever it is he does during the day when he's not hunting wild animals. George is reading a book that is quite obviously Curious George Gets a Job. I can't tell whether this was (1) just meant to be a joke by the author; (2) an in-story detail to emphasize how famous George has become; or (3) a meta-textual commentary on the insular state of children's literature at the time of publication. Possibly all three.
The mailman arrives and gives George a letter. He is not the least bit surprised that a monkey has answered the door, suggesting that the poacher pulls stunts like this all the time. On close inspection, the letter bears a return address of the museum.
Bizarre story development #1 - Instead of opening the letter, George decides to write one himself, despite not knowing how to read or write. He makes a terrible mess while attempting to fill a fountain pen, then floods the house in his attempts to clean it up.
George determines he needs a pump to get the water out. Opening the front door would probably have been a better way to start, but unlike the poacher, I recognize that George is a monkey and cannot be expected to behave in the same manner that a reasonable adult human would.
To obtain a pump, George goes to a nearby farm. Apparently, at some point in the past, George had seen that the farmers had a pump, understood what it was for, and remembered its location. Unfortunately, it is too heavy for George to steal on his own, so he attempts to enlist the aid of farm animals. The goat and the pigs aren't having any of George's shit (and a hen and her chicks are enjoying George's misfortune), but he is eventually able to get a cow to cooperate. He straps the pump to the cow, and the proceed to head back to his house. The farmers notice a monkey making off with their pump and their cow, and make chase.
George escapes by hiding behind some clothes hanging to dry. To avoid detection, he then jumps into the bed of a passing truck . . . which just so happens to be going to the museum.
**sigh** What an amazing coincidence.
The museum has an inattentive guard and a large open entrance that does not appear to have a door. George sneaks in effortlessly.
At the museum, George explores the various displays, and is enticed by a fake banana tree in a dinosaur exhibit. The dinosaurs in that exhibit are labeled simply "Dinosaur," because like everything else in George's world, the museum is very poorly run. When some museum attendees show up, George poses next to the dinosaurs and fools them into thinking he is just another stuffed display model.
Pathetic.
Anyway, they leave, and George attempts to get the fake bananas, and wrecks the exhibit in doing so. The guards take George to the museum director, Professor Wiseman (oh, come on, Rey! You're better than this!) and it looks like George is in some deep shit--not the inattentive guards, mind you, but the monkey--until the poacher shows up with impeccable timing and identifies George to Professor Wiseman as the monkey to whom he (Wiseman) had previously sent a letter.
It seems Professor Wiseman has developed a rocket (ummm....) and wants to launch George into space. Today. At the museum. With zero prep time and minimal study or training. All of this strikes me as tremendously ill-advised.
But they do it. George goes into space, bails from the rocket just in time, and receives a medal for being the first monkey in space.
Ugh, this one was just a mess. Unlike previous Curious George adventures, where he gets in trouble for everyday misbehavior that your average Curious George reader (i.e., preschoolers) might also get into, this book is some over-the-top craziness.
Worse, the plot just bounces from one unresolved disaster to another. It's like three half-stories that mostly go unresolved. We do learn, however, that the onlooker who sat by and watched George flood his house actually did go on to clean it up, so I guess that plot thread is ultimately resolved. It seems like a hand-wavey, unsatisfying way of resolving one of the primary conflicts of the book, though.
It's also notable that this book was originally published in 1957, but the United States had been sending monkeys into space since the late 1940s. Between this error and the half-assed "Dinosaur" exhibit, I can only conclude that Professor Wiseman is not particularly good at his job.
As usual, the illustrations are great and the little details are once again a major contributor to that. The neighbor looking on while George floods his house made me laugh (though it becomes relevant, as mentioned above), and I love the hen and chicks following George around on the farm.
I wasn't terribly fond of this one, though.
July 11, 2024
Typical mischief, but now with added Astrochimp excitement. Interesting that this was published years before the fame earned by Sam, Ham, and Enos of the Mercury program.
September 26, 2021
George gets into more trouble. The artwork is great.
June 15, 2009
The Curious George books are part of a larger genre of children's fiction, popular during the 1940's and 50's, of mild-mannered domesticated wild animals. (Other examples of this kind of story are Lyle, Lyle Crocodile, Crictor, and Babar.) This genre plays on the unusual characteristics of these anthropomorphized animals, who are so different from ordinary cat-and-dog pets. While these animals are always goodwilled, their wild nature causes trouble even as they seek to integrate into human society.
Young children have adored the Curious George books since the first one was published in the 1940s, and their popularity remains undiminished in our household. George is a monkey from the Amazon who was captured and brought home by the Man in the Yellow Hat. George happily settles into domestic life, but remains a mischievous monkey who constantly got into trouble, usually by failing to follow instructions from humans. George's appeal is partly that, as a monkey, he is able to do many things young children wish they could do; his disobedience can serve as a humorous example of what not to do while providing excitement and adventure. And at the end of the day, the Man with the Yellow Hat is always there to bail him out in the nick of time.
In this story, George's troubles begin when the Man with the Yellow Hat leaves him at home, admonishing him not to get into trouble; George receives a letter which he cannot read; then he attempts to write a letter, spills the ink, fills the room with soap and water in an attempt to clean it up, then makes off for the country to swipe a pump to empty the room. He releases a herd of pigs and steals a cow to tow the pump away, then flees the farmers by stowing away on a pickup truck headed for the museum. There he wrecks a dinosaur exhibit and is about to be carted off to the dreaded zoo when the Man with the Yellow hat arrives to explain everything. It turns out the director of the museum is the author of the letter that began George's troubles, and the letter invites him to become the first monkey to go into space. George agrees, all is forgiven, and he receives a medal for his courageous participation in the space program.
All of the original Curious George books are good, but like many other classic children's books, this one has a number of poor-quality sequels. I recommend only the original seven.
Young children have adored the Curious George books since the first one was published in the 1940s, and their popularity remains undiminished in our household. George is a monkey from the Amazon who was captured and brought home by the Man in the Yellow Hat. George happily settles into domestic life, but remains a mischievous monkey who constantly got into trouble, usually by failing to follow instructions from humans. George's appeal is partly that, as a monkey, he is able to do many things young children wish they could do; his disobedience can serve as a humorous example of what not to do while providing excitement and adventure. And at the end of the day, the Man with the Yellow Hat is always there to bail him out in the nick of time.
In this story, George's troubles begin when the Man with the Yellow Hat leaves him at home, admonishing him not to get into trouble; George receives a letter which he cannot read; then he attempts to write a letter, spills the ink, fills the room with soap and water in an attempt to clean it up, then makes off for the country to swipe a pump to empty the room. He releases a herd of pigs and steals a cow to tow the pump away, then flees the farmers by stowing away on a pickup truck headed for the museum. There he wrecks a dinosaur exhibit and is about to be carted off to the dreaded zoo when the Man with the Yellow hat arrives to explain everything. It turns out the director of the museum is the author of the letter that began George's troubles, and the letter invites him to become the first monkey to go into space. George agrees, all is forgiven, and he receives a medal for his courageous participation in the space program.
All of the original Curious George books are good, but like many other classic children's books, this one has a number of poor-quality sequels. I recommend only the original seven.
December 18, 2014
Curious George as the moral downfall of America. The moral message of Curious George.
The end is near my friends, and the man in the yellow hat is to blame.
I always enjoy looking at art for kids (in literature and movies) and considering the moral message. There is usually always a message. Sometimes it’s explicit. Sometimes it’s hidden. Sometimes it’s a positive message, other times it’s teaching a murky moral lesson. Literature teaches us about life, so what exactly does it teach? That’s an important question to ask yourself at the end of an experience, a more important one to ask yourself before you put a minor though an experience. What do you want to teach them?
Putting on a TV show or movie for a kid while the adults eat is great, but not all shows are created equally. Apparently there is a Nickelodeon TV show that is about a kid who always complains. I’ve heard many a parent warn other parents about this show.
What about Curious George? For the record, I don’t have any children (that I know of), but I was hanging out with my sister’s kid and she handed me Curious George and the 4 year old and said, here, read this to him.
So I plopped on the cough, wrangled that kid back over, and I read this to him. I liked Curious George as a kid, but what are they about. Basically he disobeys constantly (without good cause, as opposed to say a Hunger Games kind of rebellion), causes destruction without any real consequences or repercussions, and always gets away with it in the end. That’s not a great moral message for kids. Do what you want, break and steal things because in the end your guardian will be there to bail you out. Why ain’t that a funny little moral.
Maybe it’s harmless literature, maybe there are other Curious George books out there with a more positive moral message, maybe I’m exaggerating in order to make a point, but overall I stand by this critique of Curious George. Man in the yellow hat, you are to blame.
The end is near my friends, and the man in the yellow hat is to blame.
I always enjoy looking at art for kids (in literature and movies) and considering the moral message. There is usually always a message. Sometimes it’s explicit. Sometimes it’s hidden. Sometimes it’s a positive message, other times it’s teaching a murky moral lesson. Literature teaches us about life, so what exactly does it teach? That’s an important question to ask yourself at the end of an experience, a more important one to ask yourself before you put a minor though an experience. What do you want to teach them?
Putting on a TV show or movie for a kid while the adults eat is great, but not all shows are created equally. Apparently there is a Nickelodeon TV show that is about a kid who always complains. I’ve heard many a parent warn other parents about this show.
What about Curious George? For the record, I don’t have any children (that I know of), but I was hanging out with my sister’s kid and she handed me Curious George and the 4 year old and said, here, read this to him.
So I plopped on the cough, wrangled that kid back over, and I read this to him. I liked Curious George as a kid, but what are they about. Basically he disobeys constantly (without good cause, as opposed to say a Hunger Games kind of rebellion), causes destruction without any real consequences or repercussions, and always gets away with it in the end. That’s not a great moral message for kids. Do what you want, break and steal things because in the end your guardian will be there to bail you out. Why ain’t that a funny little moral.
Maybe it’s harmless literature, maybe there are other Curious George books out there with a more positive moral message, maybe I’m exaggerating in order to make a point, but overall I stand by this critique of Curious George. Man in the yellow hat, you are to blame.
November 13, 2014
I really want to like these books more than I do. That said, they are not horrible. Just meandering, with no real plot. It takes 3/4 of this one, Curious George Gets a Medal, to figure out what in the world the medal could be for.
He goes from making a mess at home, trying to clean it up and flooding the house in the process, going for a ride on a cow while stealing a pump (for the flood), jumps on a passing truck to escape the farmers, which takes him to a museum, where he makes a huge mess and gets caught. His friend just happens to show up because George got a letter from the museum director, who has asked him to go to space in a rocket, for which he gets the medal. Now, these are all very typical scrapes for George, and my son loves him and his stories, probably BECAUSE they are just silly adventures, but me? Not so much.
What I like, is that he goes to space, takes care of his mission successfully and comes home to much fanfare! He deserves the medal, but oh boy did he wreak havoc on his way. But if I think about it, if he's just stayed home and waited he would've gone to space in any case. But where's the fun in that?
He goes from making a mess at home, trying to clean it up and flooding the house in the process, going for a ride on a cow while stealing a pump (for the flood), jumps on a passing truck to escape the farmers, which takes him to a museum, where he makes a huge mess and gets caught. His friend just happens to show up because George got a letter from the museum director, who has asked him to go to space in a rocket, for which he gets the medal. Now, these are all very typical scrapes for George, and my son loves him and his stories, probably BECAUSE they are just silly adventures, but me? Not so much.
What I like, is that he goes to space, takes care of his mission successfully and comes home to much fanfare! He deserves the medal, but oh boy did he wreak havoc on his way. But if I think about it, if he's just stayed home and waited he would've gone to space in any case. But where's the fun in that?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 16, 2018
This story makes me cringe a bit reading it to impressionable 4-year-olds. George is pretty darn naughty with his curiosity in this one, first spilling ink, then flooding the house in his effort to clean it up and creating mischief for a neighboring farmer. In a convoluted way, he ends up at the museum where, once again, he gets himself in trouble. Once the museum director realizes this monkey is the one he was hoping to use for a space launch, all is forgiven. George goes up in a rocket and bails for the experiment and ends up hero of the day.
May 22, 2019
: a delightful romp and super hilarious to my toddler, but man...the line about George suddenly being so ashamed he wish HE WERE DEAD.?! Did not expect that.😟
July 27, 2022
Should be titled irresponsible monkey commits misdemeanors and several felonies.
October 2, 2018
This 1957 book is a little dated (fountain pens, ink spills, blotter, first monkey in space) but that didn't detract from its charm at all. George gets into a lot of trouble in this book and my three-year-old son loved it.
May 23, 2025
George floods his father's house and steals a neighbor's property. Also he's a hero.
The Man in the Yellow Hat left his adopted son home alone. Everything was going fine (George is harmlessly reading a copy of "Curious George Takes a Job") when the mailman distracts him into a series of destructive and criminal acts. See, a letter arrives addressed to George, but he can't read. He gets the idea that it would be fun to pretend to write, but the fountain pen is dry. He spills ink on the floor trying to refill it. An ink blotter won't clean the floor, so he uses soap powder and water. Water from the garden hose! He floods the house. He has to jump out the living room window to not drown and shuts off the hose, then sits thinking. He remembers that a farm down the road has a portable pump, so he goes to borrow it without permission.
The pump is too heavy to pull home by himself, so George frees all the farmer's pigs from a pen hoping the biggest one will do it. That doesn't work, but rustling the farmer's cow to pull the pump home does... until the farmer and his son see the little thief and give chase. George loses the pump and cow by evading capture in some hanging laundry. George is afraid the farmers will find him there, so he jumps on a passing truck.
The truck takes George to the museum, where he wrecks a dinosaur exhibit. Staffers catch him and bring him to the museum director, Professor Wiseman, who doesn't recognize this troublemaker as the monkey he wrote a letter to!
The Man in the Yellow Hat barges in with the letter and gets George out of trouble. They carry on with Professor Wiseman's original plan of shooting George into outer space, then operating an eject button to safely return to Earth by parachute. It all works and Curious George gets a medal for being the first living being to come back from space. Note that this firmly sets Curious George's life in the 1950s. There's also an off-hand reference in the text to the neighbor woman spending hours getting the water out of the house George flooded. No mention of whether someone is going to clean the subsequent mold damage for free!
There's a lot of charm in this one, even if George's behavior is unusually destructive. Maybe George's species make bad house pets/adopted children to modern humans?
The Man in the Yellow Hat left his adopted son home alone. Everything was going fine (George is harmlessly reading a copy of "Curious George Takes a Job") when the mailman distracts him into a series of destructive and criminal acts. See, a letter arrives addressed to George, but he can't read. He gets the idea that it would be fun to pretend to write, but the fountain pen is dry. He spills ink on the floor trying to refill it. An ink blotter won't clean the floor, so he uses soap powder and water. Water from the garden hose! He floods the house. He has to jump out the living room window to not drown and shuts off the hose, then sits thinking. He remembers that a farm down the road has a portable pump, so he goes to borrow it without permission.
The pump is too heavy to pull home by himself, so George frees all the farmer's pigs from a pen hoping the biggest one will do it. That doesn't work, but rustling the farmer's cow to pull the pump home does... until the farmer and his son see the little thief and give chase. George loses the pump and cow by evading capture in some hanging laundry. George is afraid the farmers will find him there, so he jumps on a passing truck.
The truck takes George to the museum, where he wrecks a dinosaur exhibit. Staffers catch him and bring him to the museum director, Professor Wiseman, who doesn't recognize this troublemaker as the monkey he wrote a letter to!
The Man in the Yellow Hat barges in with the letter and gets George out of trouble. They carry on with Professor Wiseman's original plan of shooting George into outer space, then operating an eject button to safely return to Earth by parachute. It all works and Curious George gets a medal for being the first living being to come back from space. Note that this firmly sets Curious George's life in the 1950s. There's also an off-hand reference in the text to the neighbor woman spending hours getting the water out of the house George flooded. No mention of whether someone is going to clean the subsequent mold damage for free!
There's a lot of charm in this one, even if George's behavior is unusually destructive. Maybe George's species make bad house pets/adopted children to modern humans?
August 16, 2020
I’ve read a few Curious George books previously and have yet to be impressed by one and this was really no different.
George is left alone by the Man in the Yellow Hat who apparently never learns a lesson. After receiving a letter from the mailman, George attempts to write his own letter and makes a mess with ink, and an even bigger mess while cleaning up. This part of the story was ok. I could see my young kids making a similar style mess, so it was relatable for both them and me.
But then George went in search of a pump from a nearby farm.
When that plan resulted in a herd of loose animals, George bailed and hopped a truck to a museum. Conveniently this is the very museum that had sent George the letter, unbeknownst to him. George again wrecks havoc and destroys a museum exhibit, but somehow the Man in the Yellow Hat appears and saves George from any consequence of his behavior by revealing he was the monkey desired by the museum director Dr Wiseman (eye roll) to send into space.
They pretty much immediately head out to a rocket and launch George into space. He returns to Earth and gets a medal for being the first monkey in space. We also learn that for some reason the neighbor (also one of only two women in the book) cleaned up the ink spill and flood at George’s house at some point, for reasons that are far beyond my level of comprehension.
All I can think about when reading these books is how the Man in the Yellow Hat would make a terrible neighbor and how it’s annoying that his neglectful absences are never really explained in any of these stories. There was just way too much going on here and way to many storylines that were rushed without resolution.
George is left alone by the Man in the Yellow Hat who apparently never learns a lesson. After receiving a letter from the mailman, George attempts to write his own letter and makes a mess with ink, and an even bigger mess while cleaning up. This part of the story was ok. I could see my young kids making a similar style mess, so it was relatable for both them and me.
But then George went in search of a pump from a nearby farm.
When that plan resulted in a herd of loose animals, George bailed and hopped a truck to a museum. Conveniently this is the very museum that had sent George the letter, unbeknownst to him. George again wrecks havoc and destroys a museum exhibit, but somehow the Man in the Yellow Hat appears and saves George from any consequence of his behavior by revealing he was the monkey desired by the museum director Dr Wiseman (eye roll) to send into space.
They pretty much immediately head out to a rocket and launch George into space. He returns to Earth and gets a medal for being the first monkey in space. We also learn that for some reason the neighbor (also one of only two women in the book) cleaned up the ink spill and flood at George’s house at some point, for reasons that are far beyond my level of comprehension.
All I can think about when reading these books is how the Man in the Yellow Hat would make a terrible neighbor and how it’s annoying that his neglectful absences are never really explained in any of these stories. There was just way too much going on here and way to many storylines that were rushed without resolution.
April 12, 2018
My son from birth has always been surrounded with Curious George. Today at the ripe old age of 3 he travels everywhere with his stuffed George doll, and morning cuddle time he is a mainstay. He loves the cartoons on PBS as well. For me, I remember as a kid going to my ped. for Dr. appts, always looking for a certain George book, (George Goes to the Hospital) for the waiting room. Luckily it was always available in the waiting room. A couple years ago I found a beautiful hardcover boxset at B&N that I thought would make a great Xmas gift for my son, and it included the Hospital book along with this one. The gift was a smash hit. The stories tend to be a bit on the long side by todays standards, but they are highly enjoyable to read for bedtime story telling.
Beautiful artwork, well written stories in a classic sense. Wording that always follows the pictures as well as now my son can relay the stories to me by both memory and picture guidance. You can't go wrong here. The simplicity and innocense of the time period when written is highly apparent which for me I want for my son. Life lessons will come, but right now I want him to enjoy his time of playfulness and George helps him do so.
Beautiful artwork, well written stories in a classic sense. Wording that always follows the pictures as well as now my son can relay the stories to me by both memory and picture guidance. You can't go wrong here. The simplicity and innocense of the time period when written is highly apparent which for me I want for my son. Life lessons will come, but right now I want him to enjoy his time of playfulness and George helps him do so.
June 21, 2017
In this story, George gets into quite a lot of trouble! First, he received a letter in the mail for his friend, the man with the yellow hat. George thought it would be fun to write his own letter! Unfortunately for George, his bad luck started then. He spilled the ink, which he needed to clean up with soap. Using too much soap, he had to get more water. The story leads George to needing a pump to get the water out of the room, but it was at a farm and he had no way to carry it back. He steals a cow and then the farmers find out. He hops aboard a truck to the zoo and gets into mischief there. After the man in the yellow hat realizes the letter was really for George and that Professor Wiseman wanted him to go to space, George becomes the first animal in space and receives a medal.
After reading this book again in my adulthood, I realize I don't enjoy it as much as I did as a kid. I think it has to do with the idea of make-believe and how I don't process that anymore like I did as a kid. It's a cute book, the pictures describe the text, but it's no longer a favorite of mine.
After reading this book again in my adulthood, I realize I don't enjoy it as much as I did as a kid. I think it has to do with the idea of make-believe and how I don't process that anymore like I did as a kid. It's a cute book, the pictures describe the text, but it's no longer a favorite of mine.
December 7, 2017
George gets a letter but since he can't read it he decides to write a letter himself. He ends up making a mess and he tries to clean it up and ends up flooding the apartment. To remove the water he gets a pump from a nearby farm, but gets distracted and releases all the animals. He hides from the farmers and ends up at a museum. There he plays with a stuffed dinosaur and breaks the display. The museum's Professor Wiseman says to send the monkey back to the zoo where it probably came from. But the man with the big yellow hat gets there with the letter. The letter was from the professor asking George to go on a space mission on a spaceship that can only fit a small monkey. George agrees and the mission is successful. George gets a medal and he is very proud.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 20, 2024
In the classic book, Curious George Gets a Medal by H.A. Rey we meet a very precocious monkey named George. All the schemes in this storybook start out innocently enough, but become outrageous and humorous and since he is so lovable, everyone cheers. Even though George floods the house, steels a cow and destroys an art exhibit, George also saves the day by becoming the first space monkey and receives a medal of honor and the whole town celebrates with him, including the animals!
This children’s fiction picture book is a riot and sure to keep a smile on your face while you enjoy George and his fantasy adventures. This book has been entertaining families since 1957, but I am sure George will be a family favorite for years to come.
This children’s fiction picture book is a riot and sure to keep a smile on your face while you enjoy George and his fantasy adventures. This book has been entertaining families since 1957, but I am sure George will be a family favorite for years to come.
October 1, 2021
I liked this one. I think I've loved every Curious George book I've read so far. I mean, it's for kids so you can't expect it to be super amazing but I'd still like to see a picture book that is. This one is good enough to me. Stories don't always have to have a message to them, but it's obviously great when they do. It doesn't stop a book from being worth reading when it doesn't have a moral to the story. At least not to me. This book was just a nice little story that should entertain the kiddos and that's what you want at the end of the day.
January 1, 2024
*The last few months of the year I've been "superhero'ed" out, so I know I won't make my usual 200-book goal unless I get creative. And by that, I mean children's books. I'm a librarian, so it's good for me to have some kids' books in my repertoire, too, right? (Okay, I might be slightly cheating, but... some of the kids' books I've read, I've really enjoyed, so I'm actually glad for a reason to cheat, lol).*
I don’t remember ever reading Curious George as a kid, and honestly, while this was cute and all, it didn’t stand out much to me. So childhood not empty, lol.
I don’t remember ever reading Curious George as a kid, and honestly, while this was cute and all, it didn’t stand out much to me. So childhood not empty, lol.
October 1, 2025
We are so proud of you for reading "Curious George Gets a Medal"! You learned that being curious and trying new things is wonderful, even if you make mistakes sometimes. Just like George, when things don't go perfectly, you can keep trying and turn them into something special! Your curiosity helps you learn and grow every single day. Remember, it's okay to be curious and ask questions - that's how you discover amazing things. You did such a great job reading this book all by yourself! We love you so much.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 9, 2021
I know the Curious George books are problematic, but this one is just ridiculous. George destroys everything, and then a random person wants to send him to space, does so 15 minutes later, then he's back right after that, and everyone is so happy they forget his reign of terror and reward him (which is the basic plotline of a Curious George book, and yet somehow this one is still even worse). This one made no sense.
September 11, 2023
Okay, padding my reading challenge, but also offloading some old books to little free libraries around the neighborhood and want to read the books one last time before I do so. This book sees George making a giant mess in his house, messing up a farm and a museum, and getting shot into space all in one day. As usual, the illustrations and the ridiculous nature of the situations George gets into are a big part of the overall fun of this book.
March 11, 2018
This is the happiest day of George’s life. In this one, You will see lots of lather, disaster on a farm, the museum of science and an experiment to send an animal into space. What is there not to like? It is full of adventure, misfortune, comedy and beautiful illustrations done over 60 years ago. This is a piece of history.
August 16, 2019
Incredible story of redemption. This was a tale of a monkey who commits multiple felonies, including destruction of property and burglary. When he is apprehended after a major crime spree, he is forced to undergo cruel experiments, including a requirement that he jump out of a spaceship. However, he eventually earns a pardon and is successfully reintegrated into society.
September 18, 2020
There are so many ways to get into trouble, even when a well-meaning monkey is trying to do his best! Yet so easy to get out of trouble when you have a charming smile and the right friends. I suppose childhood is largely about surviving mistakes. It makes me want to read this with a 5-year-old and see what ethical message emerges.
March 18, 2022
In this book Curious George creates a big mess but then goes to space and is celebrated by his whole community! In this book we see George's own ideas of how to clean up a mess he made; in the end this leads to an even greater mess. But all is forgiven when George accepts this opportunity to go to space.
Six Traits +1 - Ideas
Guided Reading: Level L
ATOS: 2.8
Six Traits +1 - Ideas
Guided Reading: Level L
ATOS: 2.8
February 21, 2025
This was the fourth Curious George book, published 16 years after the original. By 1957, they should have known, George is a chimp. Give him a damn tail by this point or quit calling him a monkey. But I digress, George causes a mess, floods his house, goes to a farm, causes chaos among the animals, is chased by the farmer, goes to a museum, and becomes the first monkey in space.
August 30, 2017
Not my favorite.. I thought it was a little long and hard to keep children's attention. It was very playful and shows that accidents happen. Good for silent reading, I personally wouldn't read it aloud.
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