SOURCE CITATION
"H(ans) A(ugusto) Rey." Major Authors and Illustrators for Children and Young Adults, 2nd ed., 8 vols. Gale Group, 2002. Reproduced in Biography Resource Center. Farmington Hills, Mich.: Thomson Gale. 2007.
Photograph provided by Houghton Mifflin.
BIOGRAPHICAL ESSAY
H. A. Rey was the creator of the widely popular Curious George stories, for which he won awards from both the Child Study Association of America and School Library Journal. In addition to writing and illustrating seven Curious George books, Rey lent his talents to numerous other books. He was an accomplished astronomer and created two books on stargazing, illustrated stories by other authors, and created puzzle and "pop-up" books. His books have been translated into nine languages and have a combined sales of more than twenty million copies.
Rey was born in Hamburg, Germany. By the age of two he was displaying a talent for drawing. He developed his artistic skill during his school years, often drawing in his sketchbook during other lessons. When World War II broke out he was drafted into the army, but as he stated in Junior Book of Authors: "I did better with my pencil than with my rifle." When he got out of the army, Rey wanted to go to an art school, but he could not afford the tuition. Instead he attended two German universities and performed freelance art work in his spare time. Before Rey formally finished school, family members offered him a job at their import/export firm in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Rey accepted. While in Brazil, he met Margret Waldstein, a young woman who had also grown up in Hamburg. The two shared an interest in art and a distaste for the Nazi government of Germany; they were soon married. They moved to Paris, where Rey began to write and draw children's books. In 1940 they were forced to flee Paris on bicycles when Nazi Germany invaded France. They took with them only a small amount of food and five of Rey's manuscripts. Escaping France, they traveled to America.
Rey completed several books before moving to the United States, often collaborating on them with Margret. Most of the books involve animals as the main characters. When he was growing up, Rey lived near a zoo. Visiting the zoo often, he developed a fondness for a variety of exotic animals. "I . . . was more familiar with elephants and kangaroos than with cows or sheep," he stated in Junior Book of Authors. The first book that Rey wrote and illustrated, Cecily G. and the Nine Monkeys, displayed his love of animals. In the story, Cecily G. is a lonely giraffe (the 'G' in her name stands for giraffe) who has been separated from her family. The nine monkeys are a family that has been driven out of their home by woodcutters and are traveling in search of a new place to live. Cecily and the monkeys meet and instantly become friends. The family stays in Cecily's home with her, sleeps in her long giraffe's bed, and plays inventive games with her. In addition to using her long body as a bridge, they ski down her neck, use her as a see-saw, parachute off her head with their umbrellas, and even use her as a makeshift harp during a concert. Cecily G. and the Nine Monkeys introduced readers to an important character. In listing each of the monkeys, Rey used two words to describe the monkey named George, clever and curious. Rey found George so entertaining that he devoted an entire book to the little monkey's adventures. He titled it simply Curious George.
Curious George begins with George playing in his African jungle home. Rey introduces his character with this description: "He was a good little monkey and always very curious." While playing, George notices a man, dressed in yellow and wearing a large yellow hat, watching him. Naturally, George is very curious about this man. When the man places his hat on the ground, George cannot resist the urge to investigate. Before George knows what has happened, the man with the yellow hat--the only name he is given in the books--has snatched the little monkey up and taken him back to his ship. The man explains to George that he is taking him to the city to live in a zoo. He tells George that he may look around the boat, but to be careful and stay out of trouble. George does just the opposite and ends up falling into the ocean while trying to fly like a sea gull. Once in the city George finds himself in more trouble. He plays with a phone and accidently dials the fire department. The fire department arrives, finds there is no fire, and puts George in jail for playing pranks. He escapes from the jail, grabs a bunch of balloons, and sails off over the city. In the end George is found by the man with the yellow hat and is taken to his happy new home in the zoo.
The broad appeal of Curious George is illustrated by an incident that occurred shortly after Rey finished the book. Just prior to fleeing France, the Reys, suspected of spying, were arrested by the French police. During the Rey's interrogation, an officer came across Rey's Curious George manuscript. Attempting to find evidence in the book that would confirm the Reys as spies, the man instead found himself amused and enchanted by the story of the little monkey. Reasoning that the person who wrote such an innocent and funny book could not possibly be a spy, the officer released the Reys and they were able to escape the Nazi invasion.
Over the course of six more books Rey continued George's adventures, often collaborating on them with Margret. "The share of my wife's work varies," Rey once commented: "Basically I illustrate and Margret writes." In the books that follow, George gets a job, rides a bike, and flies a kite--managing to cause something of a ruckus in each case. Along the way he also receives a medal, gets to fly in outer space, and even appears in a motion picture. Rey makes it clear that George's intentions are good, but his curiosity just seems to get the best of him. Regardless of the amount of trouble George manages to get into, the man with the yellow hat always arrives in time to rescue George from disaster.
The last two Curious George stories that Rey worked on before his death, Curious George Learns the Alphabet and Curious George Goes to the Hospital, differed from the previous books in their attempt to be both educational and entertaining. In Curious George Learns the Alphabet, the man with the yellow hat teaches George his ABCs. In Curious George Goes to the Hospital, George comes down with mysterious stomach pains and must be taken to the hospital. He is taken to the children's ward, where he meets young boys and girls who also need medical attention. George does not feel well at first, but after the doctors help him he is back to his old, curious self. He decides to explore the hospital and, as usual, causes a commotion due to his curiosity. The Reys collaborated with the Children's Hospital Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts, to familiarize children with hospitals, their procedures, and the people who work in them. By presenting the hospital in a story with a comforting and familiar character like George, the Reys hoped to ease some of the anxiety a child entering a hospital might have.
Readers of all ages are fascinated by George. Children love George because his appearance and behavior are very similar to that of a child: He has wild adventures and is never punished for his antics. While his escapades always cause trouble, they usually result in some good and George is rewarded or praised. "Good intentions, even motivated by curiosity," wrote Louisa Smith in Dictionary of Literary Biography, "lead to poetic justice." Discussing the reasons for George's popularity, Margot Dukler commented in Elementary English: "The most important is the ease with which the children can identify with him. He is an animal who is doing the things that they would like to do but don't dare." Adults also like George. Their children can identify with him yet, because he is a monkey, can distinguish between George's world and reality. George is drawn in a cartoon style, one that illustrates his good nature and innocence. If Rey presented George as a more devilish character, parents might not find him so attractive. "You see a very likable monkey, with a very sweet, simple face," described Dukler in Elementary English. "He can look happy or sad, or maybe surprised, but he never loses the sweetness in his expression."
In addition to the Curious George series, Rey worked on several other books. He wrote and illustrated Elizabite: The Adventures of a Carnivorous Plant, the story of a plant with a large appetite for just about anything it can get its leaves on. Pretzel tells the story of a dachshund, named Pretzel, who is extraordinarily long. Pretzel is unhappy because his appearance does not please Greta, the female dog he loves. When Greta gets into trouble, Pretzel's length enables him to rescue her, and she sees his true, unique, beauty. Rey also combined his interests in stargazing and drawing in two books about astronomy: Find the Constellations, which he wrote for children, and The Stars: A New Way to See Them, written for adults. One of Margret's favorites, Whiteblack the Penguin Sees the World, was published in 2000. Publishers Weekly claimed, "Readers will reach the last page wishing for a secret cache of sequels." Each of the books features Rey's bright, colorful illustrations and a unique system--invented by Rey himself--that easily identifies the constellations.
"Making picture books for children is the most wonderful profession I can think of," stated Rey in Junior Book of Authors. "Not only do you have fun doing it but your fellow men even pay you for it." Rey's career as an author and illustrator spanned more than thirty years. In that time he created some of the most beloved books in children's literature. The humor in his books, borrowed from the slapstick comedy of Charlie Chaplin and the simple logic of comic strips, make them all the more appealing to children. Rey brought a basic sensibility to all of his books. Summarizing his work ethic, Rey stated: "I believe I know what children like. I know what I liked as a child, and I don't do any book that I, as a child, wouldn't have liked."
UPDATES
February 18, 2004: A film version of Rey's Curious George books is being produced by Brian Grazer for Imagine Entertainment. The animated film is scheduled to be released in November, 2005. Source: Publishers Marketplace, www.publishersmarketplace.com, February 18, 2004.
March 11, 2005: Rey and his wife's book Curious George was adapted for a play written and directed by Jeremy Dobrish. The play was produced by Theaterworks/USA and opened in New York. Source: New York Times, www.nytimes.com, March 11, 2005.
PERSONAL INFORMATION
Middle name listed under one source as Augustus; original surname, Reyersbach; legally changed to Rey; born September 16, 1898, in Hamburg, Germany; immigrated to United States, 1940, naturalized U.S. citizen, 1946; died August 26, 1977, in Boston, MA; son of Alexander and Martha (Windmuller) Reyersbach; married Margret Elizabeth Waldstein (an author and illustrator), 1935. Avocation: Watching nature, reading, making gadgets, swimming and snorkeling, and stargazing. Education: Attended University of Munich, 1919-20, and University of Hamburg, 1920-23. Memberships: American Association for the Advancement of Science, Federation of American Scientists, Amateur Astronomers Association, Astronomical League, Waterville Valley (NH) Athletic and Improvement Association.
CAREER
Executive in import/export business, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 1924-36; writer and illustrator of children's books, Paris, France, 1937-40; author and illustrator of books, mainly juvenile, New York, NY, 1940-63, Cambridge, MA, 1963-77. Taught astronomy at Cambridge Center for Adult Education, Cambridge, MA. Military service: German Army, 1916-19, served with Infantry and Medical Corps in France and Russia.
