Happy 75th Birthday, Curious George!

Happy Birthday to Curious George and H. A.. Rey, the co-creator of everyone’s favorite little monkey. On September 16th, celebrate the beloved character and author with our Curious George Read! Do! Go!

2016 marks the 75th anniversary of the publication of the original book that started it all, Curious George.

“This is George. He lived in Africa. He was a good little monkey, and always very curious.”

If you or your little one have never had the privilege to read these introductory words, what better reason than for Curious George’s birthday? I recently realized that although we’ve read many Curious George titles, the original is uncharted territory for us. Curious George was one of my son’s favorite’s characters when he was a toddler. As he ages out of the stories and the PBS television show, I’m still clinging to that silly character because my boy and Rey’s monkey were so much alike.

Something to READ
Hopefully your shelves are stocked with a few of Margaret and H. A. Rey’s Curious George books. If you don’t own any, or you’d like to check out something new, head to your local library and see what you can discover, or look for one of these selected titles:

The Complete Adventures of Curious George is a great gift. Instead of countless miscellaneous sized hard and soft-covered books, I’ve been turning to hardcover collection books. As a mom, they’ve been a sanity saver. Consider ordering up this beautiful 70th anniversary collection edition of Curious George Tales for your little monkeys.

Curious George and the Birthday Surpriseseems like an appropriate book for a birthday, don’t you think? Read along as The Man In The Yellow Hat plans a birthday surprise… but who is it for? 

Curious George Goes Camping was one of my son’s favorite Curious George adventures. In true Curious George fashion, there are some ruffled feathers, mis-steps, and funny moments, but Curious George ends up a happy camper.

You can also attend one of the Curious George Storytime Events at Barnes and Noble Bookstore. Check out the events in Vernon Hills, Deerfield, & Deer Park.

Something to DO
Instead of birthday cake, celebrate with monkey bread! The delicious pull-apart bread makes for a yummy breakfast or a stand-in for a cake. This Pioneer Woman recipe is positively indulgent, and uses store-bought canned biscuits to cut out a few steps. If you’d like something a little more wholesome, check out this recipe from Food.com.

Somewhere to GO
George loved a great adventure, so head out to one of our favorite playgrounds to run and play and climb like a monkey! We are lucky to have some pretty awesome parks all over Lake County–go check out something new! For the littlest monkeys visit Hastings Lake. A set of toddler monkey bars over turf will make it safe and easy for them to learn. Hanrahan Park in Mundelein is home to a simple, yet classic set of monkey bars. The new Deerpath Park in Vernon Hills, one of our 2016 Playground Tour stops, features monkey bars under a bridge and lots of room to climb.

How will you be celebrating Curious George’s birthday? Tell us in the comments section.

Save