COMPREHENSION Curious About the Reys?

Margaret and H. A. Rey are two of the most well-known children’s book authors in the world. They are the couple behind the man with the yellow hat and a little monkey— known to most as Curious George.

On May 16, 1906, Margarete Elisabeth Waldstein was born. Hans Augusto Rey was born on September 16, 1898. Both were natives of Germany, where they did once meet as children. They became husband and wife on August 16, 1935, in Brazil. Both of their families moved there because of unsettling times in Germany. After honeymooning in Europe, they established their married life in Paris, France.

H. A. Rey developed a love for animals and drawing while living in Germany near the Hagenbeck Zoo. His first career in Brazil, as a bathtub salesman, ended when he married and moved to Paris. Soon after arriving in the French capital, he became a cartoonist. A publisher respected his work and hired him to write and illustrate a children’s book. Raffy and the Nine Monkeys was H. A. and Margaret Rey’s first book.

The Reys worked together to begin writing and illustrating a book about the little monkey named George who made his first appearance in Raffy and the Nine Monkeys. In 1940, the Reys departed from France in a hurry as the Nazis approached the capital city. They were not able to take much with them as they biked south towards Spain; however, they did take the beginnings of their story about Curious George. Once they reached Spain and had escaped danger, they boarded a ship and sailed towards Brazil and then on to New York City.

Once the Reys arrived in New York City, they wasted no time. Their first book, Curious George, was printed in 1941. The Reys worked together on this book and seven other books about Curious George. The original Curious George was first drawn in watercolor, but it cost too much for companies to print watercolors, so H. A. Rey had to recreate his art using a different method. The watercolor version of Curious George was printed and sold for the first time in 1998.

H. A. Rey died in 1977 and his wife Margaret Rey in 1996. Their books have continued to capture the attention of children and adults alike for over sixty-five years. It is apparent that everyone loves to read their books because over twenty-five million copies of Curious George books have been published around the world. They’ve been translated into many different languages so that children in all corners of the world can appreciate the humorous adventures of Curious George and the man with the yellow hat.

Directions

Choose the item that best answers the question about the selection you just read. Click the circle next to the answer.

What conclusion can you draw from paragraph 4?

A. The Reys loved Paris.
B. Curious George was important to the Reys.
C. The Reys were excited to go back to Brazil.
D. Curious George was going to be a good book.