Curious George is a famous children’s book series that started in the 20th century. It was created by H. A. Rey and his wife Margret Rey. H. A. focused on the illustrations and ideas, while Margret wrote the stories. The couple’s escape from the Nazis during World War II was crucial for the creation of Curious George.
Both H. A. and Margret Rey were Jewish and lived in Paris when the war began. They made a brave escape on bicycles when the Nazis invaded Paris. On June 14, 1940, they left the city early in the morning with only a few belongings, including five manuscripts, one of which would later become Curious George.
H. A. Rey was born Hans Augusto Rey in Hamburg, Germany, and Margret Rey was born Margarete Elisabeth Waldstein. They met as children but began their relationship in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1935, where H. A. worked in a family business and Margret went to escape the political situation in Germany. Both were artists, and they opened the city’s first advertising agency. They got married on August 16, 1935, and later moved to Paris.
While in Paris, H. A. illustrated children’s books that he published in England and France. He even earned a French patent for his unique books with cut-out animals. The character of Curious George was created in 1939, originally named Fifi, and appeared in the book Raffy and the 9 Monkeys.
As the threat of invasion grew, the Reys cycled from Paris to the French-Spanish border using borrowed Brazilian passports and then took a train to Lisbon. After a brief return to Brazil, they arrived in New York City in late 1940, where they began their new lives making children’s books. Margret later recounted their escape in an article, describing how they left Paris with their manuscripts tied to their bicycles and sold them to customs officials at the border before reaching Lisbon. They settled in a small apartment in Greenwich Village, New York, where they quickly found a publisher for Curious George.
In February 1941, they signed a contract for four books with Houghton Mifflin. The first book featuring Curious George was published that same year, and they continued to publish additional Curious George books until 1966. Margret noted how they collaborated closely, often rewriting and illustrating together.
What do you think of the Reys’ journey and their impact on children’s literature?
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Source: Upworthy, by Emily Shiffer