The Journey that saved Curious George ~Louise Borden, illustrated by Allan Drummond

–published 2005
–HMH Books, 73 pages
–4.5/5 stars

It was all about the monkey, long, long ago in a childhood far, far away. At least it was for me. Like many a young boy and young girl, that endlessly curious little trouble-attracting monkey was one of my childhood fixtures. If you were a reader, or were read to by your parents, there is a good chance that at least once in your life you went on an adventure with Curious George. I passed on the monkey mania by reading some of the books to my daughter when she was young. And all that time I was curiously un-curious about the creator of George’s exploits. That is until now.

My annual Christmas gift exchange meal with my dear friend Pat yielded some wonderful new books for my collection, including this unexpected gem of a book.

The creators of Curious George, Margret and H.A. Rey, lived quite an adventure of their own before a monkey made them famous. As Jews they recognized the particular dangers they were in as war approached and they ended up escaping Paris, France mere days before Hitler’s army marched into the city. They could only carry a few possessions, among them the most early drafts of what would become their legacy.

This wonderfully illustrated and creatively told story gives a brief yet insightful and moving account of the life and life-changing adventures of these two creative souls. It is told in a style reminiscent of a childrens book which makes it both quaint and oddly powerful in the information it conveys. The book contains pictures and illustrations from the Rey’s estate, the most interesting of which are copies of letters from their potential publishers written just before their eventual escape.

Throughout my adult life I have discovered many interesting stories about people who defied all odds and survived one of the most awful events in world history, World War II. And despite all those stories there are still so many intriguing stories to be told, stories that are worth telling. It turns out, the Rey’s is one of those stories.

If you are or were a fan of the lovable Curious George or you have any interest at all in the stories of those affected by WWII, I cannot recommend this book highly enough. It is a sweet revelation of how close George came to never touching the hearts of decades of young people the world over.