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Curious George: Trash into Treasure (CGTV Reader): A Charming Story That Teaches Kids About Recycling Featuring Everyone's Favorite Curious Monkey
In this Green Light Reader based on Curious George, the Emmy Award-winning PBS TV show, Curious George is part of a team challenge to clean up the city streets -- until he finds hidden treasures along the way!
George is part of a team challenge to help clean up the city on Pretty City Day. But when he finds hidden and forgotten treasures along the way, he realizes he's collecting more treasures than he is trash! If he wants to help his team win the challenge, he'll need to sort out his growing stash of treasures and see which ones he really wants to keep. But how?
This Green Light Reader based on Curious George, the Emmy Award-winning PBS TV show, also includes bonus activities to help reinforce the concepts presented in the story.
George is part of a team challenge to help clean up the city on Pretty City Day. But when he finds hidden and forgotten treasures along the way, he realizes he's collecting more treasures than he is trash! If he wants to help his team win the challenge, he'll need to sort out his growing stash of treasures and see which ones he really wants to keep. But how?
This Green Light Reader based on Curious George, the Emmy Award-winning PBS TV show, also includes bonus activities to help reinforce the concepts presented in the story.
- GenresPicture BooksChildrens
24 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 26, 2019
About the author
H.A. Rey
601 books218 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 - 7 of 7 reviews
June 23, 2022
Read for my toddler's bedtime. George supposed to pick up trash but he found them to be treasures instead.
October 6, 2019
i. Summary
Curious George "Trash into Treasure" is simply about a competition that George is in to see which team could pick up the most trash. Each teammate of the group was assigned a different street to clean and they would be judged on how much trash they collected, how pretty their streets are, and their can-do spirit. Instead of picking up only trash, George collected items that would be treasures to him and eventually ended up with trash and treasures. The mayor was so impressed with his findings and his ability to organize his treasures into collections.
ii. Major themes
1) Reliability- The Mayor set them free trusting that they would be picking up trash to better the community.
2) Curiosity- George not only found trash, but made treasures out of his other findings because of his curiosity to explore the street he was cleaning.
3) Dedication- George completely filled his bags, and the longer he walked, the more treasure he found. He ended up sorting all his treasure into collections so that he could keep his goodies together.
iii. Personal Star Rating
I rated this book a 4 because it was very sweet to read however I thought there could have been more detail in his adventure in finding all he did.
iv. A personal response to the book
The Curious George series are classic picture books that fully give children a different meaning on what values they are trying to portray with each book. I think that this book specifically does a great job of showing adventure, dedication, and the job of "doing good" which is something young children need more of in their life!
v. Why I recommend this book
I recommend this book because it is relatable for all children in the age group. This story does not target a specific group of people, therefore it is a cute and meaningful book that can be shared with all types of students or children. Each kid can get something different out of this story and I believe that it should be shared simply for that reason!
Curious George "Trash into Treasure" is simply about a competition that George is in to see which team could pick up the most trash. Each teammate of the group was assigned a different street to clean and they would be judged on how much trash they collected, how pretty their streets are, and their can-do spirit. Instead of picking up only trash, George collected items that would be treasures to him and eventually ended up with trash and treasures. The mayor was so impressed with his findings and his ability to organize his treasures into collections.
ii. Major themes
1) Reliability- The Mayor set them free trusting that they would be picking up trash to better the community.
2) Curiosity- George not only found trash, but made treasures out of his other findings because of his curiosity to explore the street he was cleaning.
3) Dedication- George completely filled his bags, and the longer he walked, the more treasure he found. He ended up sorting all his treasure into collections so that he could keep his goodies together.
iii. Personal Star Rating
I rated this book a 4 because it was very sweet to read however I thought there could have been more detail in his adventure in finding all he did.
iv. A personal response to the book
The Curious George series are classic picture books that fully give children a different meaning on what values they are trying to portray with each book. I think that this book specifically does a great job of showing adventure, dedication, and the job of "doing good" which is something young children need more of in their life!
v. Why I recommend this book
I recommend this book because it is relatable for all children in the age group. This story does not target a specific group of people, therefore it is a cute and meaningful book that can be shared with all types of students or children. Each kid can get something different out of this story and I believe that it should be shared simply for that reason!
March 12, 2024
This is a English and Spanish bilingual book. The English text is in blue font and the Spanish text is below in black font. Curious George is excited for Pretty City Day. It’s a day to pick up trash and clean up their city. Curious George is on the hunt for litter. He comes across someone clearing out their apartment and George wants to keep a lot of what was thrown out for trash collection. He kept a lot of the items he found for himself. The Man in the Yellow Hat was not happy with all the things George brought home. George brought an empty bag to the mayor and they all realized that some people’s trash could be someone else’s treasure. The book ends with an activity asking readers to think about collections and there are instructions on how to make a recycled bird feeder.
Everyone loves Curious George! This book is adapted from a TV show. The language development with a familiar story will be beneficial for students learning either Spanish or English. Perfect for any bilingual elementary library or classroom. Schools with mostly English speakers will benefit from this book if they offer Spanish classes. I am putting this book in my high school library because we have a lot of new Spanish language learners. This is perfect for first year students learning Spanish. They will be familiar with the characters and will appreciate both languages on the page. Students will learn new vocabulary and practice their reading comprehension.
Everyone loves Curious George! This book is adapted from a TV show. The language development with a familiar story will be beneficial for students learning either Spanish or English. Perfect for any bilingual elementary library or classroom. Schools with mostly English speakers will benefit from this book if they offer Spanish classes. I am putting this book in my high school library because we have a lot of new Spanish language learners. This is perfect for first year students learning Spanish. They will be familiar with the characters and will appreciate both languages on the page. Students will learn new vocabulary and practice their reading comprehension.
February 27, 2020
Curious George wants to help his team win the city’s recycling competition, but all of the trash seems like treasure to him. He is unable to turn in any of the objects and he wants them to become the beginning of his own collection.
This level 2 reader for children examines environmental themes like recycling and math themes like sorting for new readers ages 5-7. Children will feel comfortable reading with a character they are familiar with and will want to choose this book. It is an adaptation of a script from the television show on PBS Kids. Book extras include a fun sorting exercise and how to make a bird feeder from recycled materials. The edition reviewed was a paperback edition, which makes it an affordable choice for browsing collection that will appeal to kids. I would recommend this book for purchase to school and public library that would like to have more popular character books in a cost inclusive format.
This book was provided by the publisher for professional review by SWON Libraries
This level 2 reader for children examines environmental themes like recycling and math themes like sorting for new readers ages 5-7. Children will feel comfortable reading with a character they are familiar with and will want to choose this book. It is an adaptation of a script from the television show on PBS Kids. Book extras include a fun sorting exercise and how to make a bird feeder from recycled materials. The edition reviewed was a paperback edition, which makes it an affordable choice for browsing collection that will appeal to kids. I would recommend this book for purchase to school and public library that would like to have more popular character books in a cost inclusive format.
This book was provided by the publisher for professional review by SWON Libraries
August 1, 2019
Bilingual Curious George reader perfect for Earth Day! Includes activities for classrooms as well.
August 12, 2019
It was... okay. I think it went a bit off plot, and then had to stretch quite a bit to bring it back around to "pick up trash and make the city pretty."
January 30, 2023
George helps clean up his street, but he finds all the trash really neat.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews