A biography is a written account of another person’s life. The world is full of interesting people to learn about. Here is just one example:
Curious George is a popular story about a little monkey discovering the world around him.
It is a great series that has brought joy to children since 1941. This is wonderful, but perhaps even more astounding, Curious George saved his creators’ lives.
Curious George was written by Hans Augusto and Margret Rey, who were both Jewish and originally from Germany. They lived in Paris, France, during World War II, and at the time, Adolph Hitler was making his way through Europe and conquering all of the countries that he crossed. His next stop was France.
The Reys decided to flee the city on their homemade bicycles in order to escape Hitler’s invasion in June of 1940. The bikes were small and didn’t leave room for many belongings, but the couple did want to bring some of the manuscripts that they were working on.
Curious George was one of the manuscripts that they decided to take along with them. However, George was named “Fifi” at the time.
On their way out of France, they were stopped and searched because an official thought that their German accents were suspicious. Curious George saved the couple. When the official saw that they were carrying manuscripts of children’s stories, he allowed them to continue. The Reys escaped into Spain, then Brazil and finally to New York. It was then that Fifi was renamed Curious George.
Stories are very powerful. The many Curious George stories have inspired and entertained children for generations. But even more powerful are the stories of people. The lives of the Reys greatly influenced how they wrote about their favorite monkey, and knowing about them reveals even more about Curious George.
Did you know…
That Adolph Hitler was responsible for the deaths of millions of Jewish people throughout Europe during World War II. This was known as The Holocaust. “Holocaust” is a word of Greek origin meaning “sacrifice by fire.”
Hitler was the head of the Nazi Party, which took over Germany’s government in 1933. The Nazis believed that Germans were better than everyone else and that the Jews were less than everyone else. That’s when the Holocaust began. Many people had to hide or flee their homes, just like the Reys did. Most were not as lucky.
