Curious About George? Monkeying Around at the Jewish Museum

According to the Jewish Museum's "Curious George Saves the Day: The Art of Margret and H.A. Rey" exhibit, that little red monkey you know from the children's book series was actually rescued from the Nazis by his creators H.A. (Hans Augusto) and Margret Rey who escaped Paris by bicycle to Spain, taking their stories and illustrations of the monkey then-known as FiFi, with them.


When you visit the exhibit, you don’t enter via a bicycle, but rather a charming replica of the hotel where the Reys stayed while living in Paris as refugees from Nazi Germany. The exhibit features the evolution of George, as a minor character, Fifi, in the story Cecily G and the Nine Monkeys to his solo adventures with the man with the yellow hat (possibly inspired by Rey’s time in the Amazon, where he had two pet monkeys), as well as the story of the Reys’ marriage (their wedding invitations showed Rey as an easel and Margret as a camera.)


Playful illustrations of George stories are interspersed with pictures and characters from other books like Whiteback the Penguin, inspired by a 1937 World’s Fair illustration, and other memorabilia detailing the couple's careers (they worked together on stories including the George books) and home life (they sent out illustrated Christmas cards every year-my favorite was one featuring the Statue of Liberty, created after the couple settled in NYC.)


Fun facts abound (if you look closely, you’ll see self-portraits of Rey and Margret in many of the George books-often Rey with a pipe in-hand, and Margret with their dog Charkie) and the museum has incorporated whimsical elements like little cutout mice hovering in front of a faux fireplace into the exhibit.


Before leaving, relive your favorite George moments by sitting down with a child (or the child in you) and reading the numerous George books in varying languages that the museum has thoughtfully supplied. I know there’s not much time left to see this exhibit, but for a dose of nostalgia, or to introduce a child in your life to George, this exhibit "saves the day!" (bonus points if you recognize the nod to one of the George books!)


There are two Saturdays left in July to see this exhibit for free (otherwise pay $12)! For info on admission and hours, check here: http://www.thejewishmuseum.org/HoursAdmission (remember it's free on Saturdays.) and for info on the George exhibit, click here: http://www.thejewishmuseum.org/exhibitions/curiousgeorge (it runs until August 1, 2010.)