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On this day in 1898, Hans Augusto Reyersbach (H. A. Rey), author of the Curious George books, was born in Hamburg, Germany. In 1935 H.A. Rey and Margarete Waldstein, who was also born in Hamburg, serendipitously found themselves in Brazil, where Hans was selling bathtubs and Margarete was pursuing studio art. The couple married in August of that year and proceeded to move to Paris, where Hans published his first children’s book, Cecily G. and the Nine Monkeys, in which Curious George made his debut.
As the Nazis began to spread their influence across Europe, Hans built bicycles out of spare parts that he and his wife could use to flee Europe. Margarete and Hans returned to Brazil and eventually settled in New York City. Though the couple did not bring much with them on their journey, the manuscript for Curious George managed to make it to the United States, allowing the couple to pursue the development of this mischievous character. Published by Houghton Mifflin in 1941, Curious George remains one of the most beloved children’s books of all time, and has been translated in several different languages.
Writing children’s fiction was not H.A. Rey’s only passion, however; in fact, Hans was very intrigued by astronomy and constellations in particular. He published The Stars: A New Way to See Them in 1952 and writes in part one of the book, “This book is meant for people who want to know just enough about the stars to be able to go out at night and find the major constellations, for the mere pleasure of it” (Rey 9).
Not only does the spirit of H.A. Rey live on through his works of literature, but also through the Curious George Foundation, which funds programs for children that promote everything that Curious George represents: curiosity, engagement, exploration, experimentation, and creativity. The foundation also reaches out to organizations that work to prevent animal cruelty.
To read more about H.A. Rey’s fascinating life, visit this link!
If you are interested in reading more of The Stars: A New Way to See Them, it is available on Amazon.